CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Rain may have dampened the racing surface at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday evening, but it did nothing to diminish the sparkle of performances by Gold Final winners Pure Ivory and Luck Of Michelle.

Making her bid for a second Gold Final title from Post 9, Pure Ivory landed a beautiful steer from driver Steve Condren to capture the three-year-old trotting filly final in Race 5.

As expected, Porsche Hall was quickest away from the starting gate and took the field to a :28.2 opening quarter. However, heading for the :57.3 half, driver Terry Kerr opted to let Dave Wall and Oaklea Omega assume control of the pace.

As Oaklea Omega trotted to a 1:27.3 third-quarter, Condren fired Pure Ivory up from fifth to circle three-wide around a tiring Spare Time Rozie and by the time the field turned for home, Pure Ivory had established a half length margin.

Although Porsche Hall and Kerr did their best to reel in the leaders through the stretch, Condren and Pure Ivory hit the wire half length winners in 1:56. Birminghim and Chris Christoforou rounded out the top three, four and one-quarter lengths behind the victor.

Brad Maxwell trains Pure Ivory for Condren, who makes his home in Milton, breeder Harry Rutherford of Mount Pleasant, Jerry Vanboekel of Bright and Christina Maxwell of Cambridge. The veteran horseman has managed the Striking Sahbra daughter to a record of nine wins and three seconds in 15 starts this season for earnings of $525,363.

Between this year’s bankroll and her freshman earnings of $465,804, Pure Ivory is less than $9,000 away from becoming the next Ontario-sired millionaire. She will attempt to leap will beyond the million dollar threshold in her next start, the $300,000 Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 14. Then, as long as she remains happy and healthy, she will take a crack at the top trotting fillies in North America in the Oct. 21 Breeders Crown eliminations at Woodbine.

“Hopefully she stays sound. I’d really like to see her race in the Breeders Crown,” said Christina Maxwell before Friday’s Gold Final. “We’ve had a second, third, fourth and fifth, but we’ve never won that race.”

While Pure Ivory and her peers will enjoy a three week rest in preparation for the Oct. 14 Super Final, the two-year-old pacing fillies still have one more Gold Series to squeeze in before the season finale.

With four events in the books, Luck Of Michelle maintained her unbeaten streak in Ontario Sires Stakes action with a flawless gate-to-wire performance in the seventh race on Friday. The Camluck filly and driver Mike Saftic took command of the race from Post 5 and simply cruised through fractions of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:26 to hit the wire one length ahead of rival Canadette in 1:54.1.

Quail Seelster completed the triactor, closing well to finish one and a half lengths behind the leader.

John Pentland trains Luck Of Michelle for his wife Natalie Pentland of Dorchester and Karen Carroll of Shedden. Through 11 starts this season the gifted young pacer has tallied nine wins and two seconds for earnings of $602,475. With a perfect 300 points in six Gold Series appearances, Luck Of Michelle has a stranglehold on a berth in the Super Final and may opt out of the Sept. 28 Gold event at Rideau Carleton Raceway in favour of a well deserved rest.

Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series action continues tomorrow evening at Mohawk Racetrack as the two-year-old pacing colts and three-year-old pacing fillies compliment a spectacular program highlighted by the $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic. Post time at Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday is 7:20 pm.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rmohsfr.html