CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — China Pearls captured her third straight victory with an impressive sprint home in Thursday’s $170,000 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack.

As has become his custom, driver Randy Waples did not hurry the fan favourite away from Post 1, and China Pearls was sitting third when early leader Oh Sweet Baby trotted by the :13.2 eighth and the :28.2 quarter. Waples then tipped China Pearls to the outside and the Kadabra daughter had established a comfortable lead by the :57.3 half.

As China Pearls settled into a rhythm on the front end, Joe Hudon tipped Magic Wheel to the outside, and that filly rocketed by the leader to a five length margin before the 1:25.1 three-quarters. Magic Wheel remained on top by three lengths at the 1:39.3 seven-eighths, but when Waples pointed China Pearls at the wire the competitive filly shifted into gear and sprinted home to a two length win in 1:54.3.

Oh Sweet Baby also reeled in Magic Wheel, who had to settle for the third-place finisher’s share of the $170,000 purse. Eagle Canada was hot on their heels in fourth, while two-time Gold Final winner Peach Martini rounded out the top five.

Carman Hie trains China Pearls for his partner in the Carman Hie Stable, Stewart Cockshutt of Rockwood, along with Blake Anthony of Millgrove, Peter Kloepfer of Harley and Ted Murrell of Sharon. Through 14 starts this season the daughter of Kadabra and Pure Sable has tallied six wins and five thirds for earnings of $311,105. Thursday’s victory was her first in Ontario Sires Stakes action through four appearances.

In addition to Thursday’s Gold Final trophy, China Pearls captured the Canadian Breeders Championship at Mohawk on July 23 and swept her elimination and the final of the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association (SBOA) Stake at the Campbellville oval on Aug. 19 and 26.

Piloting China Pearls to Thursday’s Gold Final win pushed Milton resident Randy Waples over the $100 million mark in earnings. The current leader in the Ontario Sires Stakes driver’s standings and the reigning O’Brien Award winner as Canada’s leading reinsman, Waples has won 5,529 races in his career.

Waples and China Pearls have one opportunity to defend their Gold Final title when the three-year-old trotting fillies wrap up their regular season at Windsor Raceway on Oct. 2 and 9. After that the top 10 point earners will compete at Woodbine Racetrack on Nov. 12 in the season ending $300,000 Super Final.

For complete results please go to: Mohawk Racetrack Results — Sept. 22, 2011