REXDALE, ON — Woodbine Racetrack celebrates Canada Day with a clear sign that summer is arrived, the first Gold Series event for the two-year-old pacing fillies.
Starting their Ontario Sires Stakes season one and a half months after the three-year-olds gives the freshman extra time to grow and develop before beginning their racing careers. Most of the fillies heading for Woodbine on Monday are coming into the Gold Eliminations out of early season qualifiers, but a handful competed in a Trillium Series event at Georgian Downs on June 25, including John Kopas trainee The Patriot.
A daughter of Albert Albert and Compatriot, The Patriot posted a 1:59 victory at Georgian Downs off of a perfect steer by driver Stephen Byron, and Kopas hopes the filly can replicate that effort from Post 7 in the fourth race on Monday.
“Steve drove her very well. She got the perfect trip and she managed to out brush that filly (Armbro Amour) with a :28.3 last quarter,” says the Campbellville resident. “Everything worked out very well. It would be nice if she could get one of those (trips) every week.”
The filly, owned by breeders Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Suvretta Stables of Toronto, also clocked a win in her June 15 qualifier. Racing in sloppy conditions over a track rated two second slower than normal she stopped the clock in 2:02.3. She finished second in her first qualifier on June 8.
“It’s the old cliche, she’s been a nice filly from Day 1,” says Kopas. “She’s a real sweetheart in the barn and on the track. She’s got manners to spare. And she wears absolutely nothing but the hopples and the harness. She’s got everything going for her at this stage at least. Now it will just be a matter of how far she can carry her speed.”
Town Jiffy was the other Ontario-bred filly to post a win at Georgian Downs on Tuesday. The Village Jiffy daughter stopped the clock in 1:58.3 off a wire-to-wire effort for owner Linda Magid of Cambridge.
Woodbine Racetrack’s first race steps on to the track at 7:40 pm Monday and the two-year-old fillies are due to follow in Races 2, 4 and 6. The first three finishers from each elimination plus one fourth-place finisher drawn by lot will return to the seven-eighths mile oval on July 8 for their first $130,00 Gold Final.