After delivering impressive performances in last week’s elimination round, Ontario’s talented two-year-old pacing fillies return to Flamboro Downs on Sunday for their first $130,000 Gold Final
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Elimination winner YS Gold Star will be hampered by the outside Post 8 in Sunday’s final, but driver Sylvain Filion thinks the Armbro Deuce daughter might just be up to the challenge.
“Last week was her first time over a half mile, but she was pacing pretty good there,” notes the Milton, ON resident. “It kind of surprised me the way she handled the turns, because she’s kind of a big filly.
“We didn’t draw too good, but I think if there’s one that can overcome Post 8 it’s her,” he adds.
Filion pilots YS Gold Star for trainer Daniel Martin and owner Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation, QC. Through two starts the filly has a flawless record of two wins, with her personal best coming in her June 20 debut at Mohawk Racetrack. Competing against a field of her peers, YS Gold Star halted the Mohawk teletimer at 1:55.1.
“That race at Mohawk was the first time I sat behind her,” says Filion. “Daniel Martin is one of my friends from Quebec and he told me — he drove her in her first schooler — and he told me that he was really impressed with her, and he liked her. He was very high on her. He’s had a lot of good horses over the years so I believed him.”
Both of the filly’s starts, and her June 11 qualifier at Mohawk, have been off the pace efforts, but Filion believes the half-sister to $470,552 winner Kinetic Yankee also has the ability to hustle away from the starting gate, a skill she may have to use on Sunday.
“I think she can race either way, she can leave pretty good too if I start her up a little earlier,” says the reinsman. “She’s pretty versatile.”
The other two elimination winners, Class Of O Nine and Regal Attitude, will start from Posts 1 and 4 respectively. Based on her 1:56.2 clocking, the fastest of the three eliminations, Filion expects Bob McIntosh trainee Class Of O Nine will be tough off the rail, but the reinsman thinks YS Gold Star will make the early favourite work for her share of the purse money.
“When you draw the outside like that you need to play it by ear and see what happens when the gate leaves,” he explains. “I think the horse to beat is the horse on the rail, but I think she’s up for the challenge.”
Filion also qualified Tymal Trilogy for Sunday’s Gold Final, finishing third with the David Menary filly behind Class Of O Nine, but he knew from the outset that YS Gold Star would be his top priority.
“I knew right off the bat I was going to drive her. There was no doubt in my mind,” says Filion. “She has good manners, a perfect gait, and like I said, she’s very handy. That’s a very good thing for the driver.”
The two-year-old pacing fillies will battle for their first Gold Final crown in Race 4 on Sunday. Flamboro Downs sends its first race behind the starting gate at 6 p.m.
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To view entries for Sunday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Sunday Entries – Flamboro Downs.