REXDALE, ON — Ontario’s top three-year-old trotting fillies gave Woodbine Racetrack fans their money’s worth of excitement on Monday evening as Excusez Moi battled to a narrow victory over favourite For The Luva Moni in the second of two Gold Series Eliminations.
Driver Phil Hudon put Excusez moi on the lead just past the :28.1 opening quarter and laid down an evenly rated :58.1 half and 1:28.2 three-quarters. As the fillies turned for home Excusez Moi was on top by two and three-quarter lengths, but Trevor Ritchie had For The Luva Moni on the move.
The fillies battled down the stretch, with Zoboomafoo in hot pursuit, and at the wire it was Excusez Moi stopping the teletimer at 1:56.1 three-quarters of a length in front of For The Luva Moni and Zoboomafoo.
Excusez Moi has not had much luck in Gold Series action this season, making a break in the first Gold Final and failing to qualify for the second, so trainer Paul Buer and owners Joie De Vie Farm LLC in Jobstown, NJ are hoping Monday’s win signals a change in fortunes for the winner of $67,676.
In the opening elimination Queen Of Jewels delivered the expected victory, cruising to a two and one quarter length triumph in 1:56.4 after fending off a brief challenge from Terra Cotta Glory at the three-quarter mark. Clarice Marie was a steady second in the $52,360 battle and Terra Cotta Glory a game third.
Steve Condren drove Queen Of Jewels to her second victory of the season for trainer Carman Hie and his partners in the Carman Hie Stable Inc. of Rockwood, Gary Smith of Burlington and Peter Kloepfer of Harley.
Monday’s elimination was Queen Of Jewels’ sixth start this season and the King Conch daughter appears to be rounding into form at an ideal time.
In addition to the top three finishers from each elimination, fourth-place finishers Nomireatras and Wescott and fifth-place finishers Noccan Enter and North To Alaska, also advance to the $130,000 Gold Final next Monday, Aug. 11.