OTTAWA, ON — Emmylou Who finally earned her first Gold Final trophy at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday evening, and did it in effortless style, crossing under the wire all alone in 1:56.3.
Prior to Thursday’s triumph Emmylou Who had made 15 starts in the Ontario Sires Stakes program over the last two years and captured three Gold Elimination trophies and one Grassroots trophy. In five $130,000 Gold Final starts the sophomore trotting lass had logged two seconds, one third, one fourth and one fifth, but had never been able to grab the main prize.
Her dry spell came to an end in Thursday’s sixth race as trainer-driver Lyle MacArthur moved Emmylou Who smartly off the starting gate from Post 4 and dropped into second spot on the rail behind elimination winner Wilsonator. Rolling out from Post 1, Scott Zeron and Wilsonator set a lively tempo to the :27 opening quarter and did not ease up through the :55.4 half.
Heading down the backstretch Zeron took his foot off the accelerator and Wilsonator rang up a 1:25.3 three-quarters, but that was the end of her tenure as pacesetter. MacArthur tipped Emmylou Who to the outside and the fan favourite proceeded to leave her peers in the dust, sailing down the stretch to a seven and one-quarter length victory in 1:56.3.
Wilsonator settled for the runner-up spot and former Gold Final winner Random Destiny rounded out the top three. Defending Gold Final champion Cross Of Lorraine spent the first half of the mile parked on the outside without gaining any ground and faded to fifth in the stretch.
MacArthur engineered the victory for owners Linda Wellwood of St. George Brant, ON, Tammy Aspden of Caistor Centre, ON, Anne Shunock of Dorchester, ON and Diane Ingham of Mount Pleasant, ON.
The victory improved the Ken Warkentin daughter’s sophomore record to four wins, five seconds and two thirds in 14 starts and boosted her season’s earnings to $374,938. Over the last two seasons the consistent young trotter has banked a total of $508,611 for her delighted owners, who purchased the filly in 2008 for a mere $21,000.
Emmylou Who will have an opportunity to defend her Gold Final title when the three-year-old trotting fillies wrap up their regular season at Windsor Raceway on Oct. 27. With a total of 225 points earned through the first four Gold events, Emmylou Who currently sits atop the division standings and has locked up her spot in the $300,000 Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Nov. 13.
Rideau Carleton Raceway fans get a second dose of Ontario Sires Stakes excitement this week as the two-year-old trotting fillies arrive in Ottawa on Friday evening for a pair of $40,000 Gold Eliminations. Friday’s post time is 6:30 pm and the novice trotting fillies will square off in Races 2 and 4.
For complete results click: Rideau Carleton Raceway Results — Sept. 23, 2010