WINDSOR, ON — After a month-long break in their Ontario Sires Stakes campaign, Ontario’s top two-year-old pacing fillies returned to Gold Series action at Windsor Raceway on Sunday evening.

In the single $40,000 Gold Elimination, Your Beautiful was quickest off the blocks from Post 2 and led the field of 10 to a :27.2 opening quarter. Cooking The Books dropped into the pocket behind the early leader, with the rest of the field lined up single file on the rail in her wake.

Your Beautiful and driver Stuart Sowerby passed the :57 half with a comfortable lead over Cooking The Books, however former Gold Final winner Apogee Hanover and Classy Lane Rose had stepped off the rail and begun advancing up the outside. At the 1:25.3 three-quarters Your Beautiful was still on top, but fan favourite Apogee Hanover was looking her in the eye and had wrestled command from the pacesetter by the time the fillies turned for home.

Apogee Hanover sprinted down the stretch to a two length victory in 1:54.1, pursued by a hard closing Mindsweeper and Legal Entity. Classy Lane Rose paced across the wire in fourth and pocket sitter Cooking The Books earned the final share of the $40,000 purse from fifth. Your Beautiful faded back to sixth, just ahead of local favourite Class Of O Nine, who is owned by trainer Bob McIntosh of Windsor and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell. YS Gold Star and Jet Speed completed the Gold Final field, with only Breezin On Bye failing to advance.

The win was the second this season for Apogee Hanover, with her other victory coming in the July 18 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack. Through seven starts the Jeremes Jet miss boasts a record of two wins, one second and one third for earnings of $105,700. The filly arrived in Windsor off a disappointing outing in the $633,000 Shes A Great Lady Final where she suffered interference, made a break and finished ninth.

Last year’s top OSS reinsman Scott Zeron piloted the Jeremes Jet daughter to the victory for trainer Ervin Miller and owner Roger Hammer of Bedford, PA. Hammer acquired the half-sister to $869,912 winner Alastor Hanover at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale for a well spent $27,000.

Zeron and Apogee Hanover will line up at Post 2 for next Sunday’s $130,000 Gold Final, with reigning Gold Final champions Class Of O Nine and Randy Waples getting Post 5. The complete field for the Sept. 25 final at Windsor Raceway is as follows:

$130,000 Gold Final — Sunday, Sept. 25 at Windsor Raceway

Post 1 Mindsweeper

Post 2 Apogee Hanover

Post 3 Legal Entity

Post 4 Classy Lane Rose

Post 5 Class Of O Nine

Post 6 YS Gold Star

Post 7 Your Beautiful

Post 8 Cooking The Books

Post 9 Jet Speed

Also Eligible 10 Breezin On Bye

For complete results please go to: Windsor Raceway Results — Sept. 18, 2011