REXDALE, ON — The Patriot scored the fastest win of three Gold Series Eliminations for two-year-old pacing fillies at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday evening, proving to trainer John Kopas that she is more than just a cliche.
The Albert Albert daughter and driver Keith Oliver fired straight to the front from Post 7 in the fourth race and never had cause to look back, sailing through fractions of :27.4, :58.3 and 1:28.3 en route to the one and a half length, 1:56 score over Rustleyourfeathers and Tribute To Heroes.
“She looks like she could be a special one. She’s started off the right way,” said Kopas in the winner’s circle. “She has an absolutely flawless gait and she wears no extra equipment. She’s been a sweetheart since day one.”
Kopas trains the gifted filly, who also captured a Trillium Series division on June 25 at Georgian Downs, for breeders Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Suvretta Stables of Toronto. The partners retained the filly out of the Forest City Yearling Sale last fall for $20,000 and she has already turned an $11,000 profit after just two starts.
The first elimination went to Town Jiffy, who also delivered a wire-to-wire performance. Starting from Post 3 the Village Jiffy daughter reeled off fractions of :28.4, :59.4 and 1:28.1 before hitting the wire two lengths ahead of Up Front American in 1:56.2. Vittorias Lady was nine lengths back in third.
Bill Robinson trains Town Jiffy for Linda Magid of Cambridge, the former owner of Pepsi North America Cup runner-up Mach Three, and Randy Waples handles driving duties on the filly, who also captured a June 25 Trillium division.
“She’s been good right from the start. I remember the first time I schooled her she showed talent,” said Waples after the win. “She has lots of speed and showed it tonight.”
Northern Harmony captured the last elimination in slightly different style, moving from sixth at the halfway marker to score the one and three-quarter length win and stop the teletimer at 1:56.1. Warrawe Emma benefited from a trip behind the pacesetter Scotian Breeze to earn the second-place share of the $36,630 cheque while Missys Fame followed Northern Harmony from the back of the field to finish third.
Waples made his second appearance in the Woodbine winner’s circle with Northern Harmony on behalf of trainer Murray Brethour of Sunderland and his partners Murray Shapley of Richmond Hill, Don Bray of Newcastle and Angelo Dinardo of Etobicoke.
While RunThe Table miss Northern Harmony was not eligible for the Trillium Series like Town Jiffy and The Patriot, she did compete at Georgian Downs on June 25 and circled the five-eighths oval more than one second faster than either of the other two elimination winners.
The top three fillies from each Gold Elimination plus one fourth-place finisher, Walltowall Hanover, Rhiannon O Rhye or Scotian Breeze, will return to Woodbine on July 8 for their first $130,000 Gold Final.