FRASERVILLE, ON — Kawartha Downs fans overlooked reigning Gold Final champion Friendly Amigo in the first of two $40,000 Gold Eliminations on Saturday evening, and the three-year-old trotting filly retaliated with a track record performance that made it clear she will not easily be dislodged from her provincial throne.

Starting from the advantageous Post 1 over a track rated one second slower than normal, driver Bruce Richardson had Friendly Amigo in high gear as soon as the wings folded. The pair rolled out to a :28.3 opening quarter and then laid on the speed, opening six lengths up on fan favourite Elusive Desire before the :57.2 half.

Friendly Amigo reached the 1:25.4 three-quarters with a five length gap on the field and delivered a steady last quarter to secure a two and one-quarter length victory in a track record 1:55.4. Heavy favourites Elusive Desire and driver Paul MacDonell settled for a runner-up finish.

Magic Sassy and Cuddler finished nine lengths behind the leader in third and fourth, and Mystic River won the draw between fifth-place finishers to secure a berth in next week’s Gold Final in spite of making an early break and finishing 32 lengths to the rear.

The win was Friendly Amigo’s fourth this season, and her third in the last four weeks. Blair Burgess trains the daughter of Amigo Hall and Diminutive for owner-breeders Robert Burgess of Campbellville and Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton. Friendly Amigo will defend her Gold Final title next Saturday from Post 3.

By the time the fillies queued up behind the starting gate for the second elimination, the track had been downgraded from �good’ to �sloppy’ and rated two seconds slower than normal. Taking a page from Richardson’s book, driver Stephen Byron opted to ignore popular opinion and fired Mets Inn away from Post 6 to a :28.1 opening quarter. As in the first elimination, fan favourites Ill Wait For You and Trevor Ritchie dropped in behind the pacesetter and watched as Mets Inn cruised along to a :58.4 half and 1:28.1 three-quarters.

Novelty AS and Gord Brown took a run at Mets Inn heading by the three-quarters, but were unable to make any headway, and Mets Inn sailed home to a one and one-quarter length victory in 1:59.3. Ill Wait For You took home second-place honours, with Novelty AS third and Warrawee Kava rounding out the qualifiers for the Gold Final.

Peterborough resident John Bax trains Mets Inn for owner-breeder Winbak Farm of Chesapeake City, MD. Saturday’s win was the Mutineer daughter’s second of the season in 19 starts, with her other victory coming in the season opening Gold Elimination at Mohawk Racetrack on May 10.

Mets Inn will try and add a Gold Final trophy to her collection from Post 9 in next Saturday’s $130,000 Gold Final, with the remainder of the three-year-old trotting filly field lining up behind the Kawartha Downs starting gate as follows:

Post 1 Cuddler

Post 2 Magic Sassy

Post 3 Friendly Amigo

Post 4 Elusive Desire

Post 5 Novelty As

Post 6 Mystic River

Post 7 Ill Wait For You

Post 8 Warrawee Kava

Post 9 Mets Inn

Also Eligible 1 Simply Sterling

Also Eligible 2 Zorgwijk Java

Also Eligible 3 Dont Wear PJs

For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r1003kdfn.dat.