If a happy dance were possible while sitting in a race bike, driver Keith Oliver would have been doing one at Grand River Raceway on Friday night when he realised that heavy favourite Elusive Desire was off stride before the opening quarter in the first three-year-old trotting filly Ontario Sires Stakes Gold elimination

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Aboard the consistent Simply Stirling, Oliver was perfectly positioned on the rail with only three other fillies in his line of sight. As Friendly Amigo (Blair Burgess) rolled around the half-mile oval on the front end, ringing up fractions of :29.3, :59 and 1:29.1, Oliver sat patiently in the pocket with the lightly regarded Simply Stirling, who had been sent off as the longest shot in the field of six trotting fillies.

Just one and one-quarter lengths behind Friendly Amigo at the top of the stretch, Oliver shifted Simply Stirling into gear and the Mr Lavec daughter accelerated home to a 1:59.2 victory. Novelty AS (Trevor Ritchie) recovered from a break heading toward the halfway marker to finish second, Zorgwijk Java (Jason Brewer) stepped up to be third, and Friendly Amigo rounded out the qualifiers for next Friday’s $130,000 Gold Final. Elusive Desire (Paul MacDonell), who had been undefeated in Ontario Sires Stakes company this season, finished 25 lengths to the rear in sixth.

Roy Jeffries of Campbellville bred, owns and trains Simply Stirling, who now has two Gold elimination trophies to her credit. Through 12 sophomore starts the filly has only missed two cheques, posting four wins, two seconds, three fourths and one fifth for earnings of $81,630. Simply Stirling honed her half-mile skills in the Grassroots program as a two-year-old, where she recorded three victories, including one over the Grand River oval last September.

In the second $40,000 split, reigning Gold final champion Cuddler battled to her first Gold elimination victory, holding off Ill Wait For You (Trevor Ritchie) in a 1:58.1 mile. The time of the mile set a new track record for sophomore trotting fillies, lowering Only Lonely's former record by two-fifths of a second.

Starting from Post 5, Mario Baillargeon settled Cuddler into fourth spot on the rail as Mystic River (Jason Brewer) and Mets Inn (Stephen Byron) battled to a :28 opening quarter. The pair continued to sit fourth as Mystic River led the fillies to a :57.1 half, but were driving three-wide by the time the pacesetter reached the 1:28.1 three-quarters.

Just a nose behind Mystic River as they turned for home, Cuddler dug hard in the stretch to claim the quarter length victory over fan favourite Ill Wait For You. Former Gold final winner Mystic River held on for third, while pocket sitter Mets Inn rounded out the Gold final qualifiers.

Murray Brethour trains Cuddler for breeder Stephen Scarff of Halifax, N.S., and has sent the Kadabra daughter behind the starting gate 16 times this season, resulting in three wins, five seconds, two thirds and earnings of $168,870.

Cuddler will defend the Gold final title she earned at Mohawk Racetrack on August 7 when the talented three-year-old trotting fillies return to Grand River Raceway on Friday, September 4 for their fourth $130,000 Gold final. Here is a look at the field in post position order:

1. Zorgwijk Java
2. Ill Wait For You
3. Cuddler
4. Simply Stirling
5. Mystic River
6. Friendly Amigo
7. Novelty AS
8. Mets Inn

To view Friday's harness racing results, click here.

(With files from OSS & Grand River Raceway)