CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — The key to winning your triactor play in Monday night’s $130,000 Gold Final for two-year-old trotting fillies at Mohawk Racetrack was stunningly simple — select the top three money earners by red hot sire Striking Sahbra and hand over your money.
Birminghim and driver Trevor Ritchie led a parade of Striking Sahbra daughters across the finish line in the fifth race, finishing a nose in front of fan favourite Pure Ivory and three lengths up on Highnmighty.
The outstanding battle between reigning Gold Final winner and previously undefeated Pure Ivory started as soon as the starting gate swung away from the field of young trotters. From Post 1, Ritchie and Birminghim left enough to hold their position on the rail, but were content to let elimination winner Lisa’s Mission take control of the race and lead the fillies to a :27.3 opening quarter. Meanwhile Condren and Pure Ivory landed in sixth and were sitting on the outside as they swept by the quarter-mile marker.
At the :58.4 half Lisa’s Mission was still in command of the pace, Birminghim was sitting comfortably in second and Pure Ivory had found room on the rail in fifth, but her moment of respite was brief as Condren sent her after the lead heading toward the 1:28.4 three-quarters. By the time the fillies turned for home Pure Ivory had established a one and a half length margin and her fans were getting ready to cash a win ticket, but Ritchie turned Birminghim loose heading down the stretch and the talented youngster was able to reel in the favourite, getting a nose in front to claim the victory.
The fillies stopped the teletimer at 1:57.1, just one-fifth of a second shy of Peaceful Way’s 2003 Ontario Sires Stakes record over the seven-eighths mile oval.
Pure Ivory, owned by Milton resident Condren, breeder Harry Rutherford of Mount Pleasant and Jerry Vanboekel of Bright, jumped up the Super Final point standings with her runner-up finish, while Highnmighty, owned by Carl Jamieson of Princeton, Thomas Kyron of Etobicoke, Dr. Michael Wilson of Rockwood and Kenneth Ewen of Georgetown, sits just below the top 10 with 37 points.
Birminghim, owned by trainer Harald Lunde of Campbellville, now boasts a record of three wins, two seconds and one third through six starts for earnings of $184,297. The precocious trotter’s previous personal best was the 1:59.1 mile she delivered in her Robert Stewart Stakes win at Mohawk on Aug. 16.
Although she was just beaten by three-quarters of a length in last week’s elimination round, Mohawk fans overlooked Birminghim on Monday evening, sending her off as their sixth choice in the field of 10. Those who stuck with the winner of the Aug. 4 Gold Final earned $20.20 on a win ticket, $5.20 on a place wager and $3.80 for each show voucher. Fan favourite Pure Ivory returned $2.70 to place and $2.50 to show, while seventh choice Highnmighty delivered $11.20 to show.
The exactor returned $79.00 and the Striking Sahbra triactor paid $804.40. Fans who selected the top three fillies and fourth-place finisher Lisa’s Mission earned a $2,353.15 return on their superfecta investment.
Birminghim will have an opportunity to add a third Gold Final trophy to her collection when the two-year-old trotting fillies head to Flamboro Downs for their fourth Gold Series event on Sept. 25.
With the advent of Grand Circuit racing at the Campbellville oval, Ontario Sires Stakes action does not return to Mohawk Racetrack until Friday, Sept. 23 when the two-year-old pacing fillies return to the seven-eighths mile oval for their fourth Gold Series battle.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rmohsmo.html#N5