CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Eleven sophomore pacing fillies lined up behind Mohawk Racetrack’s starting gate for a single Gold Elimination on Monday evening and all 11 shifted into another gear when they hit the three-quarter mile marker.
From Post 6, Mia Seelster was the quickest away from the starting gate, leading the field to a :12.4 opening eighth and a :26.2 quarter. With only one filly being eliminated from the contest, the drivers were content to march single file along behind Mia Seelster until they were approaching the :54.3 half-way marker.
Scott Zeron was the first to tip into the outer lane, easing Katys Jet out of third spot to take on pacesetter Mia Seelster and pocket sitter Mach A Wish. He was quickly joined by five other hopefuls, while those choosing to remain on the rail hustled up closer to the action.
As the field thundered by the three-quarters in 1:22.2, Jody Jamieson rolled out three-wide with Mindsweeper and the whole field found another gear. Although Mia Seelster was still on top at the 1:36.2 seven-eighths she was clearly fading and Mindsweeper sprinted by in the centre of the racetrack to a 1:50.4 victory.
Mach A Wish and Rick Zeron squeaked out from behind Mia Seelster in deep stretch to get up for second, half a length behind Mindsweeper, while Apogee Hanover and Doug McNair came rocketing up the stretch — after sitting dead last for most of the mile — to claim third-place honours. Jet Wash followed Mindsweeper’s lead to be fourth, while Mia Seelster settled for fifth. The only filly eliminated from next week’s $130,000 Gold Final field was Brightside Maude, who finished 12 and one-half lengths behind the winner in eleventh.
Mindsweeper started from the trailing Post 11 in Monday’s elimination, and will be back on the rail for next week’s final, drawing Post 1. The Mach Three filly is trained by Eric Adams for owner-breeder Millar Farms of Newmarket, and now has one win, one second, one fifth and one seventh-place to her credit from four Gold Series starts this season.
Monday’s 1:50.4 clocking was a personal best for the filly, whose previous best came in an elimination for the Canadian Breeders Championship at Mohawk on July 14. Mindsweeper finished in a dead heat for third in the Canadian Breeders final one week later, just half a length behind winner Class Of O Nine.
In 11 sophomore starts Mindsweeper has tallied three wins, one second and two thirds for earnings of $95,783. As a two-year-old Mindsweeper was also a regular on the Gold Series circuit, finishing second in the season ending Super Final and banking $172,250.
Mindsweeper will lead the field of three-year-old pacing fillies back to Mohawk Racetrack next Monday, Aug. 27 for the third Gold Final of their season. The complete line up for the $130,000 final is as follows:
$130,000 Gold Final — Monday, Aug. 27 at Mohawk Racetrack
Post 1 Mindsweeper
Post 2 Mach A Wish
Post 3 Katys Jet
Post 4 Lyons Luck
Post 5 Trama Unit
Post 6 Apogee Hanover
Post 7 Class Of O Nine
Post 8 Cooking The Books
Post 9 Mia Seelster
Post 10 Jet Wash
For complete results please go to Mohawk Racetrack Results — August 20, 2012