REXDALE, ON — Ontario’s gifted three-year-old pacing fillies put on an impressive display at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday evening, with To Helen Back clocking the quickest mile in four $30,000 Gold Eliminations.
With regular reinsman Mark MacDonald in the race bike, To Helen Back delivered her usual come-from-behind effort to score the 1:52.3 victory. Leaving from Post 3 MacDonald settled the Astreos daughter in fourth as Zeglarska Street led the fillies through fractions of :26.3, :56 and 1:23.4. With the three-quarter pole in sight Canada’s leading driver sent To Helen Back up the outside behind Ja El Astrelegant and then kicked her into overdrive down the stretch and the filly cruised home to a one length victory.
Ja El Astrelegant, owned by Donald Varcoe of Stayner and Thomas Kyron of Etobicoke, survived her trip up the outside to claim second-place honours and Fantasy Winner closed well to be third.
The win was the first in three 2006 starts for To Helen Back, who finished second in her elimination and the final of the season opening Gold Series event at Kawartha Downs in May. Jason Libby trains the filly, a winner of $180,304 as a two-year-old, for Mike Shunock of Toronto. To Helen Back will have an opportunity to claim her second victory of the season from Post 2 in this Sunday’s $130,000 Gold Series Final, one of the featured events on the opening night of Mohawk Racetrack’s summer meet.
Standing in To Helen Back’s way will be reigning Gold Final winner In Trepid Water, who claimed her seventh straight victory in the third Gold Elimination on Monday. In Trepid Water and Rick Zeron put their flawless record on the line from Post 7 and left nothing to chance, taking early command of the race and powering away from the field to a one and three-quarter length victory in 1:53.3.
Luxury Seelster sat in In Trepid Water’s shadow throughout the mile and collected the runner-up’s share of the $30,447 provincial purse, while Style logged a third-place finish in her first sophomore outing.
Trainer Bob McIntosh shares ownership on In Trepid Water with C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH. The LaSalle resident and his longtime partners also bred the daughter of Intrepid Seelster and Water Spigot, who will defend her Gold Final title from Post 6 on Sunday.
McIntosh collected a second Gold Elimination trophy when Steve Condren piloted Stonebridge Prima to her second win of the season in Race 2. Milton resident Condren floated out of Post 8 with the Camluck daughter and powered to the front heading by the :27.1 opening quarter. The pair then reeled off a :55.2 half and 1:24.3 three-quarters before coasting home to a 1:53.3 victory.
Don’t You Smile, owned by Carl R Jamieson of Princeton, Fred Brayford of Alliston, Thomas Kyron of Etobicoke and George Arthur Stable of Rockwood, finished second and Classy Mint rounded out the top three.
Black Horse Racing of Lebanon, NJ and Perretti Racing Stable LLC of Cream Ridge, NJ own Stonebridge Prima, who was a $110,000 yearling purchase in 2004 and whose family tree boasts three horses that have earned more than $500,000. The regally bred miss will make her bid for a Gold Final victory from Post 1 at Mohawk Racetrack on Sunday.
Condren also made two visits to the Woodbine winner’s circle, steering Even Now to her second straight win in the first race. The pair got away smartly from Post 6, but allowed fan favourite Easy Feelin to take control just past the :26.4 opening quarter. Easy Feelin controlled the pace through the :55 half and 1:24.3 three-quarters, and then Condren sent Even Now back to the front where she battled down the stretch to a half length victory over Stunning Beauty in 1:53.2.
Moving Pictures, owned by Tony Debartolo of North York, rounded out the top three and also nabbed one of two spots for third-place finishers in the $130,000 Gold Final. The other third-place finisher’s name plucked out of the draw box was Fantasy Winner.
John Pentland trains Rustler Hanover daughter Even Now for CJS Stables Inc. of London and his wife Natalie Pentland of Dorchester. The winner of $146,354 will try and add a Gold Final trophy to her collection from Post 4 this weekend.
The complete list of post positions for opening night at Mohawk Racetrack, this Sunday, June 18, is as follows:
Post 1 Stonebridge Prima
Post 2 To Helen Back
Post 3 Moving Pictures
Post 4 Even Now
Post 5 Stunning Beauty
Post 6 In Trepid Water
Post 7 Fantasy Winner
Post 8 Luxury Seelster
Post 9 Don’t You Smile
Post 10 Ja El Astrelegant
Also Eligible 1 Style
Also Eligible 2 Classy Mint
Also Eligible 3 Easy Feelin
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rwdbsmo.html