FRASERVILLE, ON — Ontario Sires Stakes excitement arrives at Kawartha Downs on Saturday night with an impressive line up of three-year-old trotting fillies competing in three $36,407 Gold Eliminations.
With reigning Gold Final champ For The Luva Moni sidelined due to illness, the door is open for one of the 21 contestants in Saturday’s event to move into the provincial spotlight. Trainer John Bax will send two fillies over to his local oval for the Gold Eliminations and hopes Aimees Image picks this weekend to put together a winning performance.
“She’s been a little disappointing this year. She got sick early and it just seems to be hanging on, she hasn’t been very consistent,” says the Peterborough resident. “She looks good and feels good, of course the other factor is maybe she can’t make the next step up, but I’m hopeful she’ll break through one of these times, and now would be a good time to do it.”
Bax trains the Balanced Image daughter for breeder Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Kesons Stables Inc., of Cambridge and regular reinsman Steve Byron will aim her for a big outing from Post 4 in the second race. A cantankerous handful as a two-year-old, Aimees Image has mellowed this year making Bax joke that perhaps a return to her ornery ways is what the winner of $355,651 needs to get back on track.
“She’s actually a little better behaved than last year, you can almost put up with her,” says the veteran trainer. “That’s what makes us worry.”
Making the 10 minute trip from Bax’s farm to Kawartha Downs alongside Aimees Image will be Vics Flag, who started off the year in the Grassroots but has been showing steady improvement since her May 19 debut.
“I’m still not completely convinced that she’s up to this level, but she’s getting closer all the time and that’s good to see,” says Bax. “And the home track might help. She’s got lots of talent, but she’s kind of her own worst enemy. She’s pretty high strung so I’m hoping the 10 minute trailer ride will help, she won’t run her race in the trailer.”
Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband of Toronto and Al Libfeld of Pickering share ownership on Vics Flag, who is the first foal from their $294,979 winning mare Ms Vic.
Among the fillies Vics Flag and Steve Byron will face from Post 5 in the fourth race is Gadget Girl, owned by Paul and Glenn Van Camp of Port Perry. Gadget Girl also makes her Gold Series debut on Saturday after posting a win in the Grassroots season opener at Quinte Raceway in Belleville. Since then the Balanced Image lass, trained by Rocco Auciello, has added a pair of thirds over the Kawartha Downs oval to her sophomore resume.
Kawartha Downs raises the curtain on its Saturday evening program at 7:20 pm and turns the spotlight on the talented three-year-old trotting fillies in Races 2, 4, and 6. The top three fillies from each elimination will return to the Fraserville oval on Saturday, July 12 for the second $130,000 Gold Final of their 2003 season.