WINDSOR, ON — The connections of every two-year-old pacing filly that has raced against Luck Of Michelle this season are clapping their hands in glee today. After five straight wins the world record holder is taking a break and will miss the Gold Series Eliminations at Windsor Raceway on Sunday.
“The other one (Luck Of Michelle) must be taking a break,” says Chatham resident Robert Chapple. “We were hoping she would.”
Chapple bred and owns Canadette, who finished second to Luck Of Michelle in the July 24 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack. Handicapped by Post 9, Canadette overcame a long trip around the outside of the Mohawk oval to finish one and one-quarter lengths back in the 1:53.4 mile. On Sunday she will start from Post 3 in the first $52,490 elimination and Chapple hopes the Mach Three daughter can deliver another solid performance to advance to next weekend’s Gold Final.
“Anything is better than the nine-hole at Mohawk,” says Chapple with relief. “Hopefully she can carry on.”
Both Chapple and trainer Gregg McNair are quietly hoping that Canadette will follow in the footsteps of her mother Legacy Of Fame. The former Ontario Sire Stakes star earned $861,061 in her career and was never worse than second in 11 Gold Series starts as a three-year-old.
“She looks pretty well exactly like her mother really, size wise too,” says Chapple. “Gregg thought she was kind of a nice filly, something like her mother, but you know him, he never says too much, he lets them show their talent on the racetrack.”
After a June 16 qualifier at Mohawk, Canadette’s first opportunity to test her ability came in the June 24 Flamboro Breeders Stakes at Flamboro Downs. Starting from Post 7, Mike Saftic piloted the filly to a one and three-quarter length victory in 1:56.2.
One week later the two-year-old pacing fillies kicked off their Gold Series season at Grand River Raceway and Saftic guided Canadette to a second-place finish from Post 6 in a 1:58.4 mile. With Saftic committed to Luck Of Michelle for the July 10 Gold Final, Jim McClure picked up the lines, but Canadette made a break just past the halfway marker and finished at the back of the field.
“I think she got a little excited,” says Chapple of the filly’s miscue. “She wanted to get out and go and there was nowhere for her to go. We’re trying to get her to race out of a hole instead of on the front end.”
Luc Ouellette guided the filly to a 1:54 victory in the second Gold Elimination of the season at Mohawk Racetrack on July 17, but McNair was left looking for a driver again when Ouellette opted for his other elimination winner Treat Me Good in the July 24 Final. Paul MacDonell stepped into the breach and Chapple is hopeful that the veteran reinsman will make the trip to Windsor on Sunday.
“Hopefully we can get one driver to stick with her,” says the breeder. “After these starts we go back to Mohawk for a few weeks and it would be nice to have the same driver on her.”
Among the fillies Canadette will face on Sunday are five veterans of the Gold Series, one making the leap up from the Grassroots program and one filly making her Ontario Sires Stakes debut. Among the Gold Series regulars are former Gold Elimination winner Titanic Rose from Post 4, Flamboro Breeders division winner Fysia from Post 5 and the July 24 consolation winner Tricky from Post 8.
“They are the toughest bunch all around,” notes Chapple. “The fillies are tougher than the colts this year.”
Windsor Raceway fans will have their first opportunity to catch the talented freshman pacing fillies in action in Races 7 and 9 on Sunday’s program, which begins at 7 pm. The top four fillies from each elimination, plus one fifth-place finisher selected by random draw, will then return to the border oval next Sunday, Aug. 6 for their third $130,000 Gold Final.
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