INNISFIL, ON — Ontario’s gifted three-year-old trotters and pacers made the winning look easy at Georgian Downs on Saturday night, putting on a tremendous show for the throng of fans on hand for the second annual Gold Rush.
Kicking off the four $130,000 Gold Finals were the sophomore pacing fillies and Windsong Filou finally threw off her bridesmaid trappings and grabbed the top prize.
Starting from the advantageous Post 1, driver Keith Oliver settled Windsong Filou in second behind pacesetter Shacked Up, who reached the opening quarter in :27. Shacked Up allowed her stablemate Yellow Diamond to take control heading for the :54.2 half and the fillies marched by the 1:23.2 three-quarters in the same order. Shifting into high gear around the final turn, Windsong Filou wrested the lead from Yellow Diamond and sprinted down the stretch to a 1:52.1 victory.
Shacked Up got ahead of her stablemate to earn the runner-up share, leaving Yellow Diamond in third, and the other Tracy Brainard trainee, Cheap Motel, in fourth.
The win was the first this season for Astreos daughter Windsong Filou, who finished second to Shacked Up in last weekend’s elimination round and second to another Brainard trainee, Not Enough, in the first Gold Final of the season at Western Fair Raceway on May 29. Princeton resident Carl Jamieson trains the talented young pacer for his partners Thomas Kyron of Toronto, Dr. Michael Wilson of Rockwood and Lobro Stables of London. Through eight starts Windsong Filou now boasts a record of one win, two seconds and one third for earnings of $154,410.
After a disappointing sixth-place in the first sophomore trotting colt Gold Final, Equity found his stride and the Kadabra son extended his win streak to four with an effortless five and three-quarter length win on Saturday. Jack Moiseyev put the gelding on the front end before the halfway marker and Equity simply accelerated away from his peers to the 1:56 score.
Lightly rated Angeldrive trailed Equity around the Georgian oval to earn the second-place finisher’s cheque, with Hour Lavec another length back in third.
Trainer Chris Christoforou of Campbellville and Banjo Farms of Toronto bred and own Equity, who is the fourth foal out of their million dollar winning mare Earl Of My Dreams. Unraced at two, Equity has captured six of eight races this season and finished second once for earnings of $135,000.
Heavy favourites Elusive Desire and Paul MacDonell were equally flawless in the trotting filly Gold Final, leading from start to finish in their 1:56.3 tour of the Georgian Downs oval. Kevin O’Reilly trainees SOS Respect and Warrawee Kava battled it out for second and third, one and one-quarter lengths behind the winner and well in front of the rest of the field.
Also an easy winner in her elimination last weekend, Elusive Desire looks well prepared to defend the division crown she earned as a two-year-old. The Angus Hall miss earned $395,904 last season and boosted her lifetime earnings to $538,239 with Saturday’s victory. In six starts this season the Mike Keeling trainee has scored three wins, two thirds and one fifth-place finish. P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc. of Cambridge, Charles Armstrong of Brampton and Robert Fasken of Oakville share ownership on the talented young trotter.
The final Gold event of the evening went to another horse that has been circling the winner’s circle for two years. Heading into Saturday’s contest OK Boromir had earned two shiny Gold Elimination trophies and finished second twice in Gold Final action, but never managed to grab the big win. That all changed with a flawless pocket steer from Luc Ouellette that saw the No Pan Intended son sprint down the stretch to a one and a half length victory.
OK Boromir outhustled pacesetter and elimination winner Primary Purpose to record the 1:53.1 victory. Waffles And Cream rounded out the top three.
Frank Baker, Jr. of Thamesford shares ownership on OK Boromir with Wray and Janet Wilson of Thorndale. Through 10 sophomore starts the colt now boasts four wins, two seconds and one third for earnings of $177,050.
Driver Paul MacDonell had a successful evening at the Innisfil oval. In addition to his Gold Final score aboard Elusive Desire, the Guelph resident also piloted former Gold Series stars Bigtime Ball and Define The World to victories in their respective Masters Series Finals. Pacing gelding Bigtime Ball stopped the clock at 1:50.4 for Irwin Stables Inc. of Cobourg, while trotting gelding Define The World was a 1:55.4 winner for Al Libfeld of Pickering.
With another outstanding Gold Rush program in the history books, Georgian Downs fans will get their next taste of Ontario Sires Stakes action when the two-year-old trotting colts arrive at the Innisfil oval for their first Grassroots event on Tuesday, July 21.
For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0711geodfn.dat.