CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Trevor Ritchie was quietly confident in Elena’s chances heading into Tuesday evening’s Gold Series Final at Mohawk Racetrack and the Acton resident was proven correct when the filly delivered a solid 2:00.1 victory.
“She raced very well last week, so I was reasonably confident that if she raced like she did last week she was going to give a good showing,” said Ritchie from the winner’s circle. “And if she got a little better — which I think maybe she did tonight — and some of the others weren’t quite as good, I thought she would have a very good chance.”
Leaving from Post 7, Ritchie settled the San Pellegrino daughter in sixth-place through the early going as favourite Honour Way logged opening fractions of :28.4 and :57.4. Heading for the 1:29.4 three-quarters, the veteran reinsman sent the filly up the outside behind Fan Favourite and then allowed her to power down the stretch to the one and a half length win over Fan Favourite and Honour Way.
“When the wings folded I just looked over and saw what was happening. A couple had made breaks, so I just bided my time and waited for them to get out of the way and then I just crossed over,” explained Ritchie. “Down the backstretch she felt pretty good. I moved her and started to get her into the race a little bit. I got a little bit of cover for a little piece and when I fanned wide at the head of the lane she trotted home well.”
Owned by breeder Wilbur Stoll Lang of Jamestown, OH and trainer Christopher Beaver of Delaware, OH, Elena started her Ontario Sires Stakes season with a runner-up finish in a Grassroots event at Quinte Exhibition Raceway on Aug. 2. A 2:01.4 win in a division of the Aug. 19 Robert Stewart Stakes at Woodbine earned the filly her ticket into the Gold Series where she has posted one win, one second, one third and one seventh-place finish.
The second came in last week’s elimination, where she finished a mere nose behind Philhallmonic in 1:59, and was what indicated to Ritchie that a win was a possibility in the $130,000 Final.
“Like I say, off the way she raced last week — I was first-up last week and she raced strong to the wire,” recalled the reinsman. “I thought if she got a little bit of a covered trip, like she did, then she would trot through the lane, and she did.”
Elena’s win came as something of a surprise to fans and she returned $21.60 to win, $10.70 to place and $3.80 to show. Lightly rated Fan Favourite paid $21.90 on a place ticket and $6.30 to show and favourite Honour Way’s third-place effort was worth $2.10. The exactor returned $335.80 and the triactor paid a hearty $1,360.70.
The two-year-old trotting fillies have one Gold Elimination remaining on their schedule, Oct. 30 and Nov. 5 at Western Fair Raceway, and then the top 10 point earners will head to Woodbine for their $300,000 Super Final. Ontario Sires Stakes excitement continues at Mohawk this weekend as the brilliant two and three-year-old pacing colts are featured in their $130,000 Gold Finals on Saturday.