Your Beautiful has led a dual existence this season, competing successfully in both the Ontario Sires Stakes 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

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“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,” the resident of Tavistock, Ont. said.

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--Beautiful Girl then captured her OSS Gold elimination at Mohawk Racetrack on July 11, but Gillard said that 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,” said Gillard, who bred, owns and trains Your Beautiful in partnership with his wife, Marilyn Gillard.

The Battle of the Belles Stakes at Grand River Raceway was next on Your Beautiful’s agenda, and the filly finished second, from Post 7, in her elimination. She then came back on August 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. That is where Your Beautiful picked up her second Grassroots trophy with a 1:56.2 effort on August 13. The filly made it three in a row when she circled the Clinton Raceway half mile in 1:59.1 on August 21.

After her Grassroots victory at Clinton, Your Beautiful enjoyed a mid-season vacation. She spent 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 September 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,” Gillard said. “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,” Gillard noted. “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 is also heading into the fourth Gold Series event off a qualifier, a 1:55.4 mile at Mohawk on September 9. The daughter of Camluck will start from Post 7 with regular reinsman Randy Waples in the race bike.

On Sunday, Windsor Raceway will send its first race behind the gate at 7:00 p.m. and fans will be waiting impatiently to get their first look at the talented two-year-old pacing fillies in Race 6.

To view the harness racing entries for Sunday at Windsor Raceway, click the following link: Sunday - Windsor Raceway.

(OSS)