Peach Martini extended her lead in the standings among this year’s leading ladies in the two-year-old trotting ranks at the Gold Series level thanks to an impressive victory in the first of three $40,000 eliminations at Mohawk
Racetrack on Monday evening.
Despite the soggy conditions Peach Martini rallied to win in 1:58.2 for trainer/driver Rick Zeron, and in doing so she bumped her points total to 255 for the season. She sat third to the quarter pole before going after pacesetter My Whispering Eye (Anthony MacDonald). Peach Martini was parked at the half-mile and three-quarter poles, but she was a clear leader by the time the field arrived at the top of the stretch.
A :29.2 final frame was good enough to propel the daughter of Striking Sahbra-Armbro Martini to a 1-1/4 length score over B Cor Janett (Sylvain Filion). Haphazard Gourmet (Mike Saftic) recovered from an early miscue and wound up finishing third.
Rick Zeron Stables, Rojan Stables, Michael Katz and Stephen Waldman share ownership on the four-time winner, who was sent off as the even-money favourite in Monday’s assignment. The lion’s share of the purse lifted her bankroll to $156,356.
Myherbal T Hanover pulled off a 22-1 shocker in the second elimination for the tandem of driver Jason Brewer and trainer Kevin O’Reilly. The Here Comes Herbie-Mamtaz Hanover miss closed from well off the pace to win in maiden-breaking fashion in a time of 2:00.1. She drew clear to win by a two-length margin over Enchantment (Keith Oliver), who narrowly edged out third-place finisher Ugotlegs (Luc Ouellette).
DM Stables of Naples, FL own the rookie, who was making her first start in the Gold Series this season. The youngster, who made one appearance in the Grassroots program, has stashed away $22,825 to date.
L A Freeway survived a first-over journey for Paul MacDonell, who guided the daughter of Kadabra-My Star Trecker to a career-best clocking of 1:59.2 in the third elimination. The John Bax trainee got to pacesetter Extraordinaire (Wayne Henry) in the final strides and pulled away to win by three-quarters of a length over that foe. Quantum Victoria (Trevor Ritchie) came on late to finish third.
Bred and owned by Marvin Katz of Toronto and Al Libfeld of Pickering, ON, L A Freeway notched her third win of the season from just six trips postward. The win bumped her earnings to $48,800.
The final will be contested at Woodbine Racetrack next Monday evening, with a first race post time of 7:20 p.m. Here’s how the fillies will line up on the starting gate:
$130,000 O.S.S. Gold Series Final
1. Ugotlegs
2. Extraordinaire
3. Enchantment
4. Myherbal T Hanover
5. Quantum Victoria
6. My Whispering Eye
7. L A Freeway
8. B Cor Janett
9. Haphazard Gourmet
10. Peach Martini
To view Monday’s results, click here.