CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — When HF Velma returns to Mohawk Racetrack on Monday for the two-year-old pacing filly Gold Final, trainer Gregg McNair is hoping she can take advantage of Post Position 1 for the second straight week.

“She drew real good there. That’s a good spot for her,” says the Guelph resident, who trains HF Velma for Ian Fleming of Londesborough.

Starting from Post 1 in last week’s elimination HF Velma led the field from start to finish, crossing under the finish wire in 1:55.3. It was the Apaches Fame daughter’s first victory after recording third-place finishes in a July 1 two-year-old event at Georgian Downs, and a division of the Flamboro Breeders Stake at Flamboro Downs on July 6.

“She always showed she could go pretty good, but she’s got a few quirks about her,” admits McNair. “They’re hyper out of that mare, and Apaches Fame’s can get wound up enough on their own.”

McNair figures that hot blooded ancestry came into play in the elimination when driver Mike Saftic asked the filly to accelerate off the starting gate from her advantageous post. HF Velma hit the opening quarter in a sharp :27.

“She was fired up a little there the other night, Mike said, when he asked her to leave,” reports the trainer. “That was the only time she had been asked. She has been good to manage in a race so far.”

In spite of the favourable result of the filly’s front end trip, McNair does not expect she will be able to engineer a repeat performance in against nine of the province’s best on Monday.

“All of the other divisions went the same speed, but they came home pretty quick, 27 second last quarters,” he explains. “It looks like not a bad bunch in there.”

While HF Velma gets Post 1 in the $130,000 contest, the other elimination winners, Envy and Find A Penny, will start side-by-side from Posts 4 and 5. Saftic piloted both HF Velma and Find A Penny to their elimination triumphs, and McNair expects the reinsman to stick with his regular mount Find A Penny, so Luc Ouellette will return to the race bike behind HF Velma.

Post time at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday evening is 7:20 pm and the two-year-old pacing fillies will battle in their first $130,000 Gold Final in Race 4.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/emohsmo.html#N4