CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — If Snazzy Millie can deliver another impressive effort in the two-year-old trotting filly Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday, Terry Devos may be forced to redo his Christmas shopping list.
Heading into last week’s Gold Elimination the Royal Strength lass had made breaks in all but two of her 10 starts and Devos was nearing the end of his rope with the unreliable filly.
“George (Zirnis) has always liked her, but if she kept going the way she was going I think I was going to buy him some trotting hopples for Christmas,” says the Langton resident. “She’s had some nice miles. She won the Gold Consolation (Aug. 5) and went faster than the Gold Final that night so we know she can do it if she pays attention, but I don’t know what her problem has been.”
Devos shares ownership on Snazzy Millie with trainer-driver Zirnis of Elmira, Dennis Fairall of Windsor and his father Clarence Devos of Langton. The partnership was formed at yearling sale time last fall when the world was still reeling from the effects of the September 11 tragedy in New York. With the economy staggering Devos and his father figured they might as well keep a share of their homebred rather than sell her at the fire sale prices being rung up in the yearling sale ring.
“I remembered George had had that Dreamfair Tierra, and she was a Royal Strength out of a Balanced Image mare, so I called him up and asked if he wanted to take a piece of Snazzy Millie and we’d stay in with him on her,” recalls Devos. “We actually did the same thing with one of our colts this year. It’s worked out well so we’ll take another shot.”
In spite of her erratic season the filly has earned $86,364 for the partners and has the opportunity to add to that total from Post 6 in the sixth race on Thursday evening. If she can replicate the state of mind she brought into the elimination round, when she cruised to an impressive 2:00.2 victory over a track rated two seconds slower than normal, she should be one of the favourites to capture the lion’s share of the $130,000 Gold Final purse.
“If she stays honest like that she should be all right Thursday,” says Devos. “But anything can happen, it depends what kind of drive we get.”
With his 2000-2001 Ontario Sires Stakes star Sharise Seelster selling in Harrisburg, PA on Thursday Zirnis may not get back to Mohawk in time to drive Snazzy Millie, and Devos was unsure which catch-driver would get the call to handle the unpredictable lass. But while Zirnis’ attendance is still up in the air, Devos says he will definitely not be at the Campbellville oval.
“She races better when I’m not there so I don’t think I’m going to go Thursday,” he says. “I’ll watch it from home.”
Among the fillies Snazzy Millie will face in Race 6 are the other Elimination winners For The Luva Moni, who starts from Post 3, and Wanabeamillionaire, who is owned by Robert Waxman of Ancaster and starts from Post 8. Division leader and two-time Gold Final winner Independent Woman gets Post 9.
Six fillies who did not qualify for the $130,000 Gold Final go head-to-head in the $30,000 Gold Consolation in Race 2. Oakville Stakes winner Aimees Image, owned by Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Kesons Stables Inc. of Cambridge, is expected to be the favourite from Post 4.
Mohawk Racetrack’s first race gets under way at 7:40 pm on Thursday and the two-year-old trotting fillies will light up the seven-eighths mile oval in Races 2 and 6.