CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — This year’s crop of two-year-old trotting fillies has been impressive since their debut, and on Thursday evening at Mohawk Racetrack they maintained their standard of excellence in four $40,000 Gold Eliminations.

Moms Apple Pie clocked the quickest of the four eliminations, touring the Campbellville oval in an impressive 1:56.4 for driver Mike Saftic and trainer Bill Budd.

Starting from Post 2 Campbellville resident Saftic settled Moms Apple Pie into third as favourite Standing My Ground and Motown Muscle dueled through a :13.4 opening eighth and :28.1 quarter. Standing My Ground won the battle and had a two length lead when she reached the half in :57.3, but Saftic soon had Moms Apple Pie on the move and the filly was reeling in the pacesetter by the time she reached the 1:26.4 three-quarters.

In control by the time they turned for home, Saftic and Moms Apple Pie trotted down the Mohawk stretch to a one and one-quarter length victory over Motown Muscle and Candida.

Waterdown resident Budd conditions Moms Apple Pie for owner William Dixon of Caledon, who purchased the daughter of Striking Sahbra and Moms Sweetie Pie for $22,000 from last fall’s Canadian Yearling Sale. Second by a nose to Legzy in the July 5 Gold Final at Kawartha Downs, Moms Apple Pie will take aim on a trophy of her own from Post 8 at Mohawk next Thursday.

Legzy captured her Gold Elimination on Thursday with a front end effort that saw her coast across the finish line in 1:59.2, one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Cha Cha Magic and Carmen. Regular reinsman Sylvain Filion of Milton crafted the Amigo Hall daughter’s third win in five starts for trainer Rob Fellows of Rockwood and owner-breeders Edward Wilson of Seagrave, ON and Michael Pozefsky of Saratoga Springs, NY.

Legzy will be looking for her second Gold Final title from Post 9 in next week’s $130,000 contest.

Reigning Gold Final champion Charmed Life advanced to next week’s final with a runner-up effort behind heavy favourite Bee A Magician in the second elimination.

Starting from the outside Post 8, Bee A Magician sat at the back of the field until the three-quarters, when she stepped out three-wide and shifted into overdrive. An impressive :27.4 final quarter propelled the Kadabra daughter to a three and one-quarter length victory in a personal best 1:57. Charmed Life garnered second-place honours, getting by Brenway Dixie in the stretch.

Oakville resident Zeron engineered the impressive effort for trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman and owners Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, Herb Liverman of Miami Beach, FL and David McDuffee of Delray Beach, FL, who purchased the filly out of the 2011 Harrisburg Yearling Sale for $90,000. With three Gold Elimination trophies now in her possession, Bee A Magician will be looking to add a Gold Final trophy to the collection from Post 4 next week.

In the other elimination Cardio Pump proved that she deserved her promotion from the Grassroots Series with a 1:57.4 triumph over favourite Wind Stroll and Choir Robe. Milton resident Randy Waples piloted Cardio Pump to her first Gold Series win for trainer Mark Steacy and owner Winbak Farm of Chesapeake City, MD.

Prior to Thursday’s test the Angus Hall daughter had recorded one win and one sixth in Grassroots action. She will make her Gold Final debut from Post 2 in next week’s contest.

Two third-place finishers also join the top two finishers from each elimination in next week’s $130,000 Gold Final, and Choir Robe and Carmen had luck go their way in the random draw. The complete line up for the August 9 Gold Final is as follows:

$130,000 Gold Final — Thursday, Aug. 9 at Mohawk Racetrack

Post 1 Wind Stroll

Post 2 Cardio Pump

Post 3 Carmen

Post 4 Bee A Magician

Post 5 Motown Muscle

Post 6 Charmed Life

Post 7 Choir Robe

Post 8 Moms Apple Pie

Post 9 Legzy

Post 10 Cha Cha Magic

For complete results please go to Mohawk Racetrack Results — Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012