CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — After finishing second to Elusive Desire in their last two match-ups, Friendly Amigo finally stepped into the spotlight at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday evening and claimed a Gold Elimination victory.

In rein to trainer Blair Burgess, Friendly Amigo led the field of three-year-old trotting fillies through fractions of :28.4, :59.3 and 1:27.4, and then dug in through the stretch to hold off a hard charging Magic Sassy and record the 1:57 victory. Magic Sassy was just a neck back in second, while Lindy Of My Dreams picked up the third-place cheque, three and one-quarter lengths behind the leaders.

Cuddler and Skyla rounded out the Gold Final qualifiers from the first $40,000 elimination.

Friday’s effort was Friendly Amigo’s first visit to the winner’s circle in a sophomore season that has seen her finish second in four of 11 starts. Robert Burgess of Campbellville and Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton share ownership on the filly, a homebred out of Amigo Hall and Diminutive, who has stepped up her game in recent weeks.

“I still don’t know what the answer is to why she’s suddenly more competitive,” said trainer-driver Burgess before the elimination. “She was a little hard to manage, she wouldn’t settle in behind other horses, and she was tiring herself out.”

Burgess has tinkered with Friendly Amigo’s equipment in an attempt to help her relax, but says maturity and racing experience may be the bigger factors in the filly’s recent success.

“It’s probably as much maturity as it is equipment changes,” said the horseman. “She’s getting a little smarter as she gets older.

“Now she can utilize her gate speed, settle in and relax, and still have something left at the end,” he added. “She has been turning in better last quarter times than she did earlier in the year.”

Friendly Amigo will be looking for another strong finish from Post 4 in next week’s $130,000 Gold Final.

In the second $40,000 Gold Elimination on Friday, Acton resident Trevor Ritchie piloted fan favourite Ill Wait For You to an impressive 1:56.4 triumph. After sitting off the pace while Novelty AS spun the field through fractions of :27.3, :57.2 and 1:26.4, Ritchie and Ill Wait For You powered up the outside through the final turn and accelerated away from the field to a four and one half length win.

Mets Inn and Serenas Genie also closed smartly to claim second and third-place honours. Fourth-place finisher Simply Stirling, owned and trained by Roy Jeffries of Campbellville, and fifth-place finisher Novelty AS also advanced to the Aug. 7 Gold Final.

Dan Creighton trains Ill Wait For You for his partners in the Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy. Up until this evening, the Kadabra filly’s only other winner’s circle appearance this season was in Grassroots action at Grand River Raceway on June 8, where she bested the field by seven lengths in 2:02.3. Through six sophomore starts the young trotter now has two wins and one second to her credit.

Ritchie will steer Ill Wait For You from Post 9 in the Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack on Aug. 7. The remainder of the field will line up behind the starting gate as follows:

Post 1 Novelty AS

Post 2 Serenas Genie

Post 3 Lindy Of My Dreams

Post 4 Friendly Amigo

Post 5 Skyla

Post 6 Magic Sassy

Post 7 Simply Stirling

Post 8 Cuddler

Post 9 Ill Wait For You

Post 10 Mets Inn

For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0731mohsn.dat.