Fall Final Four Elims This Weekend

Published: October 26, 2010 09:29 pm EDT

Two-year-olds take centre stage this weekend at Woodbine Racetrack in eliminations leading up to the $2.2 million Fall Final Four, which will go postward at Woodbine on Saturday, November 6

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The Fall Final Four is comprised of the $709,000 Governor’s Cup for pacing colts and gelding, the $501,000 Three Diamonds for pacing fillies, the $539,700 Valley Victory for trotting colts and gelding and the $502,000 Goldsmith Maid for trotting fillies.

It will take two eliminations on Friday night to decide the final field for the $502,000 Goldsmith Maid.

Martiniontherocks, a daughter of Conway Hall, is fresh off a victory in her $600,000 Breeders Crown division for Quebec native, Dustin Jones. With freshman earnings of $414,515, Martiniontherocks will begin from post six in the second elimination which goes to post in race seven. Ron Pierce will handle the lines once again for owner Ecurie Synergie.

A single elimination is required to decide the final field for the $709,000 Governor’s Cup this Saturday night.

Big Jim, this year's Breeders Crown champion, accepted a bye into the final based on the fact he is the highest money earner among the entrants. The son of Western Ideal has freshman earnings of $479,580 for the Canadian connections of owner Jim Carr, trainer James 'Friday' Dean and driver Phil Hudon.

The top nine horses from Saturday’s elimination will advance to the final.

Two eliminations will be contested on Saturday to determine the field for the $539,700 Valley Victory final.

The Jimmy Takter-trained Pastor Stephen is the richest horse in the field thanks in part to his victory in the $500,000 William Wellwood Memorial final earlier this year at Mohawk Racetrack. With earnings of $523,565 this season, Pastor Stephen will headline Saturday’s second elimination which goes as race seven. Yannick Gingras will steer the son of Cantab Hall from post eight for owners Christina Takter, John Fielding and Brittany Farms.

With just seven entrants in the box for the Three Diamonds, those pacing fillies will simply head straight to the $501,000 final on November 6.

Trainer Casie Coleman will send out Pretty Katherine and Idyllic. Pretty Katherine has been victorious in a pair of qualifiers to prepare for the rich final. Owned by John Liviakis, Pretty Katherine has suffered just one defeat in her young career with career earnings of $300,578 and a 1:50.3 world record-equaling performance.

Idyllic, Coleman's other entry, recently finished third in her Breeders Crown final. The daughter of American Ideal also has suffered just one loss in her career. Idyllic's biggest payday of her career came in the $688,000 Shes A Great Lady final were she defeated stablemate Pretty Katherine to secure freshman earnings of $555,329 for the West Wins Stable, Michael LaCova, Joseph LaCova and John Campagnuolo.

The other fillies in the field will be All Tucked Up, Artic Byrd, Ms Pacpan, Native Daughter and Strike An Attitude.

The $100,000 Gold Cup Invitational Pace will also be held at Woodbine Racetrack on November 6 featuring the best open horses in North America.

(WEG)

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