CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — In her first appearance on Ontario soil, Poof Shes Gone delivered an exceptional effort to capture the first of three $40,000 Gold Eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday evening.

The talented two-year-old trotting filly and driver David Miller sat mid pack through the first half of the race and then stepped to the outside to take aim on pacesetter Random Destiny. Poof Shes Gone trotted strongly around the final turn and had established a one and three-quarter length margin by the top of the stretch, which she extended to four and three-quarter lengths by the wire.

Random Destiny settled for second, with reigning Gold Final champion Isthatallyagot four more lengths back in third.

Poof Shes Gone halted the Mohawk teletimer at 1:56.2, just two-fifths of a second shy of the 1:56 Ontario Sires Stakes record set by Bella Dolce in 2007.

Monday’s victory was the third straight for the gifted daughter of Kadabra and Travelin Superlite, who captured her elimination and the final of the $525,800 Merrie Annabelle at The Meadowlands before heading north for a series of races at Mohawk that include next week’s Gold Final, the Sept. 7 Champlain Stakes, and the $500,000 Peaceful Way, which gets under way on Sept. 14.

Richard “Nifty” Norman trains Poof Shes Gone for John Fielding of Toronto, Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, Herb Liverman of Miami Beach, FL, and David McDuffee of Nashua, NH. The partners acquired the full-sister to former freshman Grassroots Champion Travelin Supergirl for $170,000 at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale. The filly has already recouped $294,700 through her first four lifetime starts.

In the second elimination, Angostura made a successful leap from the Grassroots ranks to the Gold Series, stepping out of the pocket in the stretch to score a 1:58 victory. Windcross finished one and three-quarter lengths back in second and Oaklea Samantha was another length to the rear in third. Fan favourite Warrawee Lassie finished fourth, but was fortunate enough to draw the short stick and land a spot in next week’s Gold Final.

Trevor Ritchie engineered Angostura’s Gold Elimination victory for trainer Dan Creighton and his partners in the Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy. After she qualified on Aug. 7, Creighton opted to start the Angus Hall daughter in the Grassroots event at Hiawatha Horse Park on Aug. 13, where Angostura made short work of her Grassroots competition, cruising home a nine length winner in 1:59.1. A $30,000 yearling at the 2008 Forest City Yearling Sale, Angostura has banked $32,000 in two career starts.

Trainer Lyle MacArthur teamed lightly regarded Emmylou Who to a 1:58 victory in the last Gold Elimination, keeping a neck in front of hard charging peers Scottish Starlet and Ruling Class.

Like Angostura, Emmylou Who started her provincial career at the Grassroots level, scoring a victory in the season opener at Clinton Raceway on July 19, and a second in the Aug. 13 event at Hiawatha Horse Park. The Ken Warkentin miss is owned by Linda Wellwood of St. George, Tammy Aspden of Caistor Centre, Anne Shunock of Dorchester and Diane Ingham of Mount Pleasant, who signed a cheque for $21,000 to acquire the filly from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.

The top three finishers from each elimination, along with lucky fourth-place finisher Warrawee Lassie, return to Mohawk Racetrack next Monday, Aug. 31 for the third $130,000 Gold Final on their calendar. The talented two-year-old trotting fillies will arrange themselves behind the starting gate as follows:

Post 1 Windcross

Post 2 Warrawee Lassie

Post 3 Random Destiny

Post 4 Oaklea Samantha

Post 5 Emmylou Who

Post 6 Poof Shes Gone

Post 7 Ruling Class

Post 8 Isthatallyagot

Post 9 Scottish Starlet

Post 10 Angostura

For complete results please go to: http://standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0824mohsn.dat.