This year’s top sophomore trotting fillies – many of which put forth strong showings in the Casual Breeze Stakes this past weekend - will return to Mohawk Racetrack to compete in a pair of $35,000 Elegantimage elims
on Friday night.
Casual Breeze Stakes winners Poof Shes Gone and Action Broadway will butt heads in the first of two eliminations, carded as Race 3 (8:10 p.m. post time).
After she was upset in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final on May 23 due to some sickness, Poof Shes Gone rebounded with a 1:54.4 victory in one of three Casual Breeze Stakes divisions at Mohawk last weekend.
“She wasn’t great tonight but she was definitely better,” said trainer Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman in an interview with WEG's Media Department following her win on Friday.
“She’s going to stay here and I’m going to come out on Wednesday and train her a couple of trips. I think she’ll be a little better next week. She’s a little fat yet maybe but we’re working on it.”
Regular reinsman David Miller will drive the Kadabra-Travelin Superlite filly, who has drawn Post 8 for her connections; Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, John Fielding of Toronto, ON, Herb Liverman of Miami Beach and David McDuffee of Delray Beach, Florida.
Action Broadway, who turned in the fastest mile of the Casual Breeze divisions winning in a Canadian record 1:52.4, will start from Post 5 for trainer Virgil Morgan, Jr. and owner-breeder Kenneth Sommer of Sheffield, Ohio.
“The very first time I drove her was in the Pensylvania Sire Stakes and she won for me,” said the filly’s driver, Brett Miller. “She ended up the next week breaking the track record at The Meadows and ever since then I’ve been really high on her myself.
“The main thing that stands out for me is she is as quick as a cat. When you ask her to go, she’s trotting fast,” said Miller, who also noted that Action Broadway needs to be handled with care when sending her behind the gate.
“She’s the type of filly that can get hot. She gets pretty wound up and behind the gate you’ve got to be pretty careful because if she gets too hot she wants to run into the gate and the more you pull on her the madder she gets.”
Jesses Messenger will look to rebound from a break in the same Casual Breeze split, but will have to overcome the outside Post 10 to do so. Prior to last Friday’s stake, the daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Laser Message had won all 10 of her starts for trainer Kent Sherman and owner Daryl Sherman of Elmore, Ohio.
The second Elegantimage elimination, carded as Race 5 (8:50 p.m. post time), will feature the other Casual Breeze winner, Ultimate Cameron. The regally bred daughter of Yankee Glide-Cameron Hall is trained by Robert Stewart for Diamond Creek Farm LLC of Paris, Kentucky.
“Last year, the last start of her two-year-old year was her best start by far,” recalled Stewart after her 1:53.4 Casual Breeze victory. “She was a very game second to Poof Shes Gone [in the Breeders Crown] in a very fast time and that gave us some good feelings for this year.”
“No [I wouldn’t trade her for another filly.] I like our spot. Of course she holds a dear spot [in our hearts], we trained her mother and she was a great filly.
“She does [resemble her mother],” added Stewart. “She’s the same colour and about the same size, she’s probabaly just a little thicker than her mother was. Her mother was a little streamline but I would say height-wise they are very similar."
Ultimate Cameron will start from Post 6 with Trevor Ritchie in the bike.
“I don’t think we’ll do a lot with her this week. I hope she doesn’t bounce off her first start but I don’t think she will, she’s had a lot of foundation. I don’t think she needs a lot of work. The less work you do with them the longer they last.”
Ultimate Cameron will face off again some familiar foes in her elimination. Emmylou Who (Post 1), Highland Strikes (Post 8), Bramalea Hanover (Post 3) and Bone A Fide (Post 10) finished second, third, fourth and fifth to Ultimate Cameron in last weekend's outing. OSS Gold Final winner Random Destiny will look to bounce back after a break in that Casual Breeze division for trainer-driver Riina Rekila and Overseas Farms Ltd. of Campbellville, ON from Post 9.
The top five finishers in each elimination will advance to the $600,000 (est.) Elegantimage final on Pepsi North America Cup night, Saturday, June 26.
Here is a look at the fields for the eliminations:
Elegantimage Elimination #1 - Race 3
PP – Horse
1 – Wilsonator
2 – Ipromisenottotell
3 – Celebrity Spirit
4 – Perfect Chance
5 – Action Broadway
6 – Bar Slide
7 – Ellens Isle
8 – Poof Shes Gone
9 – Exquisitelycrafter
10 – Jesses Messenger
Elegantimage Elimination #2 - Race 5
PP – Horse
1 – Emmylou Who
2 – Tequila Slammer
3 – Bramalea Hanover
4 – Celebrity Madonna
5 – Fortunes Dream
6 – Ultimate Cameron
7 – Oaklea Samantha
8 - Highland Strikes
9 – Random Destiny
10 – Bone A Fide
To view Friday's entries, click here.