CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Heading into last week’s Gold Elimination at Mohawk Racetrack, Paul MacDonell knew Mach You And Me had talent, but the Guelph resident was not sure whether she was ready to compete against the province’s best. One week later MacDonell knows the three-year-old pacing filly can not only compete, but may even have a shot at capturing this Sunday’s $130,000 Gold Final.
“We knew she had high speed, but you never know if they can carry it to the next level,” explains MacDonell. “Now it looks like she can. We’re quite enthused about her so far.”
Mach You And Me proved that she belonged with the remarkably talented group of pacing fillies competing at the Gold Series level when she posted an effortless 1:51.2 victory in last weekend’s elimination round. Making her Ontario Sires Stakes debut, Mach You And Me sat fourth through the early going, took control of the race heading for the three-quarter pole and cruised home one and three-quarter lengths ahead of the competition.
MacDonell will steer the Mach Three daughter in her eighth lifetime start on Sunday, and faces a group of nine veteran campaigners who all raced at two, have made an average of 17 starts and have earned a total of $1.6 million between them.
“Most of them had 10 to 12 starts last year and three, four or five prep races this year already. They’re seasoned,” says MacDonell, who shares ownership on Mach You And Me with his former neighbours Dennis and Bonnie Caruana of Orono. “She doesn’t have the seasoning they have.”
The Caruana’s and MacDonell intended to give Mach You And Me a few starts last season, but in a Nov. 3 qualifier she was involved in an accident that saw MacDonell dumped unceremoniously out of the race bike.
“Last year in her very first qualifier she had a horse make a break in front of her and knock me off the bike,” recalls MacDonell. “We were getting her ready for the Autumn Series, and that curtailed that plan, so we just decided to shut her down.”
Both Mach You And Me and MacDonell emerged from the incident unscathed, but the filly had missed the entry deadline for the fall series so the partners decided to heed the omen and concentrate their attention on a successful sophomore campaign.
The modified plan seems to be paying off as Mach You And Me has posted three wins and one second in her seven starts and earned $52,537.
“We had a little trouble with her getting a bit hot early, but she seems to have got over that with the open bridle and ear plugs,” notes the reinsman, giving credit to trainer Ron O’Neill of Cambridge for the equipment change.
“Dennis put a lot of ground work on her,” MacDonell adds. “He did a good job with her. She was ready to go when he sent her up (to O’Neill).”
Mach You And Me will start from Post 3 in Sunday’s Final, with the other elimination winner Michelles Power starting from Post 1 and reigning Gold Final champion Jans Luck starting from Post 4. MacDonell says he will also have his eyes peeled for Milliondollarsmile, who finished second to Mach You And Me last week and will start from Post 2 Sunday.
The talent laden $130,000 Gold Final is slated as Race 8 on Mohawk Racetrack’s Canada Day program, with the first race going postward at 7:20 pm.
For complete entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/emohssu.html#N8