While reigning champ Bee A Magician gets a well earned rest, her stablemates Choir Robe and Lily Pad Hanover will be looking to carve out their own piece of the Gold Elimination pie at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Friday evening.

Lily Pad Hanover makes her career debut in the first $40,000 elimination, lining up from Post 7. The daughter of Kadabra-Letterfromshanghai comes into the race off a trio of qualifiers, two at The Meadowlands in New Jersey and the most recent a 2:03.4 result at Mohawk Racetrack on Aug. 10.

“She’s quite a bit behind,” says trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman. “She’s a beautiful filly; she’s just taken a while to get the hang of things.”

Norman trains both Lily Pad Hanover and Choir Robe for Ottawa resident Melvin Hartman and his partners Herb Liverman of Miami Beach, FL and David McDuffee of Delray Beach, FL. The trio anted up $92,000 to purchase the youngster from last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.

“You wouldn’t get a nicer looking filly, she’s gorgeous,” says Norman. “She’s probably just going to follow along from the seven-hole, but she might pick up a few at the end.”

Scott Zeron will steer both Lily Pad Hanover and Choir Robe and Norman says Rideau Carleton fans can expect to see the reinsman employ a similar strategy with both youngsters.

“All my horses pretty much race from off the pace and I would probably continue in that manner,” says the horseman. “We prefer to have horses finish rather than to see a two-year-old get tired.”

Choir Robe finished strong in the Aug. 9 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack, closing from ninth at the three-quarter marker to claim third-place honours behind Bee A Magician. The daughter of Kadabra-Soutaine Hanover, who was bred by Liverman and McDuffee, also delivered a third-place result in her career debut in the Aug. 2 Gold Eliminations.

“I think she will probably improve from there,” says Norman, who was very pleased with the long-legged filly’s first two starts.

Heading into the Ontario Sires Stakes season Norman expected Choir Robe to emerge as the stable star but the filly is currently racing in the shadow of Bee A Magician, who sits atop the division standings with one Gold Final and three Gold Elimination victories.

“I think Bee A Magician is probably way better than we all expected,” admits Norman. “I think she might be the fastest trotting filly I’ve ever trained.”

While Bee A Magician, who will sit out the fourth Gold Series in preparation for an upcoming run at North America’s top freshman trotting fillies, currently ranks ahead of her stablemate, Norman is still expecting big things from Choir Robe.

“She is a very big filly and has been immature physically for that reason,” he explains. “I was high on her from the start and I think she’ll be a very good filly when she matures fully.”

Choir Robe will attempt to match or better her third-place efforts from Post 5 in the second Gold Elimination on Friday. Among the fillies she and Zeron face is the season opening Gold Final winner Legzy from Post 3.

Both Choir Robe and Lily Pad Hanover will need a top three finish to earn a return ticket to Rideau Carleton Raceway for the August 24 Gold Final.

The talented two-year-old trotting fillies open Rideau Carleton Raceway’s Friday evening program at 6:30 p.m. and the other two Gold Eliminations go postward in the fourth and eighth races.

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To view entries for Friday’s card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Entries – Rideau Carleton Raceway.