GLOUCESTER, ON — Local fillies Hollywood Beauty and Ifhallscouldtalk scored impressive victories in their Gold Series Eliminations at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening.
Hollywood Beauty and Jacques Hebert kicked off the local talent parade with a 2:02.2 victory in the sixth race. Leaving from Post 1 the pair landed in third spot through the early going, allowing favourite Incredible Iam to lead them to a :30.1 opening quarter and a 1:01.3 half. Moving toward the 1:31.3 three-quarters Hebert sent Hollywood Beauty after the lead and the Angus Hall filly sailed easily to the front, never facing a challenge as she trotted to the one and a half length victory over Incredible Iam and Coquette Girl.
Trainer Lyle Anderson’s River Ridge Farm of Ottawa owns the talented young trotter, a $50,000 US purchase at last fall’s Kentucky Standardbred Yearling Sale. Hollywood Beauty made a break in the July 4 Trillium at Rideau Carleton, but Anderson was confident things would be different heading into the Gold Elimination.
“I think we can handle those fillies. She should be able to finish in the top two in there,” said Anderson before the race. “If she stays flat she’s ready to have a top mile.”
Two races later Ifhallscouldtalk scored her second straight victory with a dominant 2:03.2 score. Leaving from the outside Post 7, driver Sylvain Filion settled Ifhallscouldtalk on the rail in third. Chelemark Spring took the fillies to a :31 opening quarter and then Filion sent his charge up to challenge on the outside. Past the 1:03.1 half Ifhallscouldtalk was just a half length from the lead and at the 1:32.3 three-quarters the filly had put away Chelemark Spring and was driving to the front.
By the time Ifhallscouldtalk turned for home she had eight lengths on the field and none of her peers made up any ground down the stretch as she breezed under the wire an easy winner. Sassy Doll closed well to earn the second-place share of the $28,184 purse and favourite Grenada Blue Chip’s steady performance delivered her safely into third spot.
Melvin Hartman of Ottawa owns Ifhallscouldtalk, a daughter of Angus Hall and Armbro Talk that he acquired at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling sale for $42,000 US, and Rene Laarman handles her day-to-day conditioning.
The other two Gold Eliminations went to daughters of Balanced Image. WS Balanced Wheel and driver Rod Laframboise opened the Ontario Sires Stakes portion of the evening with a flawless gate-to-wire effort in 2:03.1 for trainer John Dunlop and owner-breeders What Stables of Fredonia, NY. It was the filly’s first lifetime start and she sailed under the wire two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Beautiful Day and favourite Meadowview Marion.
Sno Doubt About It scored the fastest mile of the four eliminations with an impressive front end effort that saw her clock fractions of :28.3, :59.2 and 1:30.1 en route to the 2:00.3 victory. In rein to Darrell Coville, the heavy favourite finished three and a quarter lengths ahead of Emerald Tortilla and Shez Mine.
Wayne Bloomfield trains Sno Doubt About It for Talbot Creek Farms of Shedden, who acquired her at the 2002 Forest City Yearling Sale for $21,000. Last week’s win in the Trillium Series added to the winner’s share of the Gold Elimination purse moved the filly’s balance sheet into the black just one month after she lined up behind the starting gate for the first time.
The top two fillies from each Gold Elimination, plus one of the third-place finishers selected by random draw, will return to Rideau Carleton Raceway next Sunday to compete for their first $130,000 Gold Final title.