CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Sun N Sand scorched around Mohawk Racetrack on Monday evening to her first Gold Series victory, stopping the clock in an eye catching 1:53.3.

Sent off as the sixth choice in the last of four Gold Eliminations, Sun N Sand got a masterful drive from Paul MacDonell. Leaving from Post 2 MacDonell settled Sun N Sand on the rail in sixth while her peers battled to a :27.1 opening quarter and a :56 half. Heading for the 1:24.2 three-quarters MacDonell tipped the filly’s nose to the outside and she made rapid inroads on the leaders, powering to a two and a quarter length win over Don’t You Smile and Draconian Promise.

Lansdowne resident Mark Steacy trains Sun N Sand for his partners David Reid of Glenburnie, Malcolm Man Son Hing of Nepean and George Judson of Athens. The Astreos daughter was a winner in the Grassroots season opener at Flamboro Downs on July 10 before moving up to the Gold Series at Rideau Carleton Raceway where she finished third in the July 17 elimination and then made a disappointing break in the Gold Final one week later.

Reigning Gold Final champion To Helen Back began defence of her title with a solid 1:54.4 score in the fifth race. Another daughter of Astreos, To Helen Back and Mark MacDonald also employed a come-from-behind strategy to score the two length victory. Stunning Beauty, owned by Michael Williscraft of Grimsby, Paul Henderson of Ancaster, Terry Barnett of Guelph and Gaetan Bono of Laval, QC, and Zeglarska Street rounded out the top three in the $30,762 contest.

Trained by Jason Libby for Mike Shunock of Toronto, To Helen Back made her Ontario Sires Stakes debut in the Rideau Carleton Gold event where she finished a close second in her elimination and then captured the Final by one length in 1:56.4. A half-sister to Ontario Sires Stakes regular Helena Handbag, To Helen Back was a $27,000 acquisition at the Canadian Classic Yearling Sale last fall and has earned $97,301 in her four race career.

Mark MacDonald also appeared in the winner’s circle after the first Gold Elimination, piloting fan favourite Valkyrie Hanover to a 1:55 triumph for trainer Brenda Teague and owner Benjamin Stafford of Felton, DE. Alias Seelster and Cinny Fever, owned by Eric Udrzal of Mississauga, were neck and neck for second and third, two and a half lengths behind the winner.

The second foal of former Ontario Sires Stakes competitor and $199,389 winner Varbo, Valkyrie Hanover was a $10,000 bargain at the Harrisburg Yearling Sale.

Style captured the other elimination with a come from behind effort engineered by Tony Kerwood for trainer John Kopas and owners Glengate Farms of Campbellville and George Hempt of Camp Hill, PA. Kerwood and the Rustler Hanover daughter sat fourth through the early going and then powered to the front heading past the three-quarter marker. Once in command the duo sailed to a three length win in 1:55. Stonebridge Prima and favourite Nascar Babe landed in second and third.

The win was Style’s second in just five days. The filly captured a division of the Whenuwishuponastar Series at Mohawk last Thursday in 1:56.2.

The top two fillies earned an invitation to the $130,000 Gold Final at Mohawk next Monday, Aug. 8 and they will be joined by third-place finishers Draconian Promise and Cinny Fever who had luck in their corner in the draw made after the eliminations. Post positions for the Gold Final are as follows:

Post 1 Stunning Beauty

Post 2 To Helen Back

Post 3 Stonebridge Prima

Post 4 Valkyrie Hanover

Post 5 Sun N Sand

Post 6 Draconian Promise

Post 7 Alias Seelster

Post 8 Cinny Fever

Post 9 Style

Post 10 Don’t You Smile

AE1 Zeglarska Street

AE2 Nascar Babe

AE3 Bold Bidder

For complete results please go to:

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