CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — There were lots of treats available at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening for fans clever enough to select the winners of three Gold Series Eliminations. With all three favourites in the two-year-old trotting filly event failing to hit the board, the winning tickets started at $6.70 and went up from there.
Snazzy Millie kicked off the Halloween party with a major upset over fan favourite Wescott and division leader Independent Woman. The Royal Strength daughter and trainer-driver George Zirnis trotted strongly off the gate from Post 7 and moved into command of the race heading by the half mile marker. From there the pair powered off to a two and one half length victory in a snappy 2:00.2 over a rain-soaked track rated two seconds slower than normal.
Independent Woman followed along into second-place and long shot Jar Jar Binx closed well to finish third, while No Chatting and Zoboomafoo hit the wire in a dead-heat for fourth.
“She’s got a lot of speed, but she’s hard on herself and tough to control,” said Zirnis after the race. “When she puts it together she can go a big mile, but most of the time she makes a break here or there and it’s been disappointing that way. Tonight, I got her to the front and she relaxed a little bit in the third quarter and she had enough to do the job.
“I think next year when she matures a little she’ll make a nice trotter. This year, she’s had the speed, but her manners haven’t been the best.”
Elmira resident Zirnis trains the fractious filly for his partners Dennis Fairall of Windsor and Terry and Clarence Devos of Langton, who also bred the winner of $86,364.
Snazzy Millie returned $34.10 to win, $10.70 to place and $7.00 to show to her admiring fans. Independent Woman paid $7.30 to place and $4.90 to show and Jar Jar Binx’s third-place effort was worth $9.00. The Snazzy Millie, Independent Woman exactor returned $264.10.
In the second division fans selected Mikestory as their top choice, but it was second choice For The Luva Moni who sprinted by the field through the stretch to post a four and a half length 2:02.2 triumph over Spicey Image and Sephora. While Mohawk fans may not have put their faith in the Balanced Image lass, driver Carman Hie was confident in his mount’s chances in the $31,823 contest.
“I’m pretty confident in her,” said Hie, who drives the filly for trainer Dr. John Hayes of Beamsville and his partners Ned Gvoich of Beamsville and Kim Kaplan of Worcester, MA. “She was full of trot. She can trot with any of them.”
It was For The Luva Moni’s second Gold Elimination victory and moved her up the division standings into fourth spot with 125 points from just three Gold Series outings. Fans who opted for the filly earned $6.70 to win, $3.60 to place and $3.10 to show while Spicey Image returned $6.30 to place and $5.30 to show and Sephora paid $4.50. The 7 – 6 exactor returned $31.70 and adding Sephora for a 7 – 6 – 4 triactor was worth $139.10.
In the final elimination Wanabeamillionaire stepped off the quickest last quarter of the evening to capture her first Gold victory. The Mr Lavec daughter, trained by Bob McIntosh for Robert Waxman of Ancaster, rocketed from seventh to first with her :29.3 final quarter. She and driver Chris Christoforou hit the wire three-quarters of a length up on Armbro Amaze and stopped the clock at 2:02.4. Oaklea Lizzy was three lengths back in third and favourite Aimees Image faded to fourth through the final stages.
Wanabeamillionaire’s victory rewarded her fans with $14.70, $6.00 and $3.80. Newcomer to the Gold Series Armbro Amaze paid $5.20 and $3.30 and Oaklea Lizzy delivered a $6.10 pay out. The exactor returned $72.10 while the triactor was worth a whopping $652.30.
The top three fillies from each Elimination will return to Mohawk Racetrack on Nov. 7 for their last $130,000 Gold Final and they will be joined by one of the fourth-place finishers — No Chatting, Zoboomafoo, Morning Dream and Aimees Image — who will be drawn by lot to complete the 10 filly field.