SARNIA, ON — Trainer Jeff Gillis smiled when he saw the post position draw for this Thursday’s Gold Series Eliminations at Hiawatha Horse Park. For the first time in her career his two-year-old pacing filly She’s Almost Famous will not have to battle two-time Gold Final winner Lucks Mistress.
Since her July 20 debut in the Ontario Sires Stakes program She’s Almost Famous has recorded two runner-up finishes to Lucks Mistress, but with the champion’s connections opting out of the third Gold Series event the door is wide open for Gillis’ filly to step into the winner’s circle.
“We were just looking to avoid Lucks Mistress, although I feel like we’re getting a little closer to her. The first time she beat us by five lengths and the second time she only beat us by a length,” says Gillis. “And we haven’t had a favourable trip yet.”
Gillis shares ownership on She’s Almost Famous with All In Stride Stable of Pickering and the Guelph resident has been looking forward to racing the filly since he caught a glimpse of her ability last winter.
“Around about February she went through a snow drift and when the snow hit the cart she bolted on the pace. I’ve liked her since then. She showed a lot of speed,” he explains. “She’s a typical Apaches Fame. They can be a little bit grabby, a little bit aggressive, and she started out that way so we’ve been very conservative with her.”
That conservative attitude also extended to the Apaches Fame daughter’s race schedule, with Gillis opting to skip the first Gold Series in July.
“We could have rushed her and been there, but we just decided to take our time with her,” he says. “She’s not very big, she’s knee high to a grasshopper.”
Randy Waples has driven She’s Almost Famous in both of her starts and when he steps back aboard on Thursday Gillis expects him to find the novice pacer easier to steer.
“She drifted out a little bit in both races so we made a few adjustments,” explains the 26-year-old. “Hopefully she’s straighter this week.”
The filly starts from Post 3 in the eighth race, the second $51,230 elimination, and will face five newcomers to the Ontario Sires Stakes program, one making the leap up from the Grassroots level and three veterans of the Gold Series.
Post time at Hiawatha Horse Park is 7:30 pm on Thursday and the two-year-old pacing fillies are showcased in Races 7 and 8. The top four finishers from each Gold Elimination, plus one fifth-place finisher selected by random draw, will return to the Sarnia oval on Thursday, Aug. 12 for the third $130,000 Gold Final on their schedule.