WINDSOR, ON — Your Beautiful has led a dual existence this season, competing successfully in both the Grassroots and Gold Series programs, but Stephen Gillard says if the two-year-old pacing filly delivers a strong effort at Windsor Raceway on Sunday she will finish up the season among the province’s best.

“I guess I’m going to leave that door open, but in the race Sunday night she’ll have to convince me that she’s not competitive in the Gold to go back to the Grassroots,” says the Tavistock resident.

Your Beautiful started her career in the Grassroots season opener at Hiawatha Horse Park on June 30 and sprinted down the stretch to a 1:55.4 victory. The daughter of Your Nemesis and Beautiful Girl then captured her Gold Elimination at Mohawk Racetrack on July 11, but Gillard says a tactical error saw the filly and driver Stuart Sowerby finish fifth in the Gold Final one week later.

“We had decided to let her slide off the gate, and every other horse left,” says Gillard, who bred, owns and trains Your Beautiful in partnership with his wife Marilyn Gillard.

Next on Your Beautiful’s agenda was the Battle of the Belles Stake at Grand River Raceway and the filly finished second, from Post 7, in her elimination and then came back on Aug. 1 to win the final by three and one-half lengths in 1:56.1. From there the Gold Series fillies were scheduled to compete in Ottawa, so Gillard opted for the shorter trip to Georgian Downs in Innisfil and Your Beautiful picked up her second Grassroots trophy with a 1:56.2 effort on Aug. 13. The filly made it three in a row when she circled the Clinton Raceway half mile in 1:59.1 on Aug. 21.

After her Grassroots victory at Clinton, Your Beautiful enjoyed a mid-season vacation, spending seven days loafing around the Gillard’s farm before she resumed her training schedule. Gillard prepped her for Sunday’s Gold Series Elimination with a qualifying outing at Mohawk Racetrack on Sept. 13, where she clocked a 1:56.2 mile for Sowerby.

“Stuart’s done a wonderful job of looking after this horse and making money at the same time,” says Gillard. “He looks after her and she looks after both of us.”

Sowerby will steer Your Beautiful from Post 2 in her third Gold Series appearance. With only 10 fillies entered for Sunday’s elimination, all 10 will go behind the gate in Race 6 and nine will earn a return ticket to the $130,000 Gold Final next week.

“She’s drawn really well,” notes Gillard. “If she can be closer to the pace — because she can pace all four quarters, she’s not going to get tired on us — if she can get a forward position, she’ll have something left.”

Among the fillies heading to Windsor on Sunday is reigning Gold Final champion Class Of O Nine. The Bob McIntosh trainee also goes into the fourth Gold Series event off a qualifier, a 1:55.4 mile at Mohawk on Sept. 9. The Camluck daughter, bred and owned by Windsor resident McIntosh and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell, will start from Post 7 with regular reinsman Randy Waples in the race bike.

Windsor Raceway sends its first race behind the gate at 7 pm on Sunday and fans will be waiting impatiently to get their first look at the talented two-year-old pacing fillies in Race 6.

To view Your Beautiful’s previous OSS starts please go to: Your Beautiful

For complete entries please go to: Windsor Raceway Entries — Sept. 18, 2011