REXDALE, ON — After hosting Gold Eliminations for the three-year-old pacing fillies and colts on Friday and Saturday, Woodbine Racetrack turns the spotlight on the three-year-old trotting fillies Monday night as the talented youngsters compete in their third Gold Series event.
Leading the group of 13 into battle on Monday is Canadian Breeders Champion For The Luva Moni, who missed the July Gold Final while battling a virus that struck her down immediately after she posted a personal best 1:54.4 winning an elimination of the $600,000 Elegantimage Stake at Woodbine on June 13.
“She was quite a sick pony right off the bat, she had it strong from Day 1,” recalls trainer Dr. John Hayes. “But she was able to get over it and she’s in to go Monday.”
The daughter of Balanced Image returned to the racing scene with a 1:59.3 win in a July 11 qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack, and then followed that up with 1:57.2 and 1:56.2 triumphs in the elimination and Final of the Canadian Breeders Championship at Woodbine on July 18 and 26. With an impressive record of five wins and one third under her belt in six starts, the filly has taken Hayes and his partners Ned Gvoich of Beamsville and Kim Kaplan of Worcester, MA on an enjoyable ride so far this season.
“It’s been fun. After her two-year-old season I knew she was somewhere between definitely okay and really good, but I’m not going to say I knew this was going to happen,” says Beamsville resident Hayes. “It’s been as much good luck as good management, but hey, that’s why we’re in this business. You buy different parts of the dream, shuffle the deck and hope you come out a winner.”
For The Luva Moni’s success has been even more poignant for Hayes due to the untimely death of his friend, and the filly’s breeder, Chris Van Bussel last December.
“I choose to believe she’s a credit to the vision and planning of Chris Van Bussel. Every time she steps on the track I think about him, believe me,” he says. “As far as I’m concerned Chris Van Bussel was one of the finest men I’ve ever met.”
A daughter of Seelster Farms foundation mare Photo From Home, For The Luva Moni counts among her siblings $331,995 winner Picture Seelster, $166,936 winner Paige Seelster and $128,624 winner Patrice Seelster. In total, Photo From Home’s progeny have earned over $1 million. With $294,813 in her bank balance For The Luva Moni is the mare’ second richest offspring and solid results in Monday’s Gold Elimination and the Aug. 11 Gold Final could vault her to the top of the heap.
The filly and driver Trevor Ritchie will take their first step down that road from Post 5 in the second race Monday, facing off against regular rivals North To Alaska from Post 1 and Wescott from Post 4.
In the first elimination Canadian Breeders runner-up Queen of Jewels will try and maintain the momentum she has built in the last two weeks. Rockwood resident Carman Hie trains the King Conch filly for partners Gary Smith of Burlington and Peter Kloepfer of Harley and will hand the lines over to Steve Condren, who will send the filly after a win from Post 5 in the first race.
The two-year-old trotting fillies open Woodbine Racetrack’s Monday evening program at 7:40 pm, competing in the first and second races. The top five finishers from each elimination will return to the Rexdale oval on Aug. 11 for their third stab at a $130,000 Gold Final.