Monday’s three-year-old pacing filly Gold Elimination at Mohawk Racetrack attracted just 11 competitors, and Tony O’Sullivan is confident that his first time Gold starter Mach A Wish will earn one of the 10 spots up for grabs in next week’s Gold Final.
“She raced well enough the other night that she’s worth giving a shot at the Gold,” says the Cambridge resident. “I have a feeling she can do in there.”
Mach A Wish recorded a 1:52.2 runner-up effort in an overnight event at Mohawk on Aug. 10, just her third start after suffering an injury going in behind the gate for the first leg of the Princess Series at Woodbine Racetrack on April 23. O’Sullivan was never able to discover exactly what happened to the daughter of Mach Three-Belinda Hanover, but he strongly suspects a misalignment along her spine.
“I don’t know what she did,” admits the horseman. “I’m pretty convinced she put her back out, or her hip out, because the chiropractor really did help her.”
Mach A Wish seemed to be moving better within a week of the injury, but O’Sullivan opted to give her additional time off in hopes of preventing a recurrence. The filly returned to action in a June 14 qualifier at Mohawk and then qualified a second time on June 22.
Back in to race on July 6, her first start in almost three months, Mach A Wish delivered a solid effort to finish a hard-closing third. Unfortunately O’Sullivan was unable to find another race for the pacing youngster before the July 27 Grassroots event at Grand River Raceway, so he opted for a qualifier at Mohawk on July 20, which Mach A Wish won with a 1:54.4 effort.
The filly won her Grassroots debut in 1:56.1 but went off stride briefly in the final turn at the Grand River Raceway half-mile, leading to yet another qualifier, which saw her circle the Mohawk oval in 1:55.2 on Aug. 3.
With the strong effort on Aug. 10 and Monday’s Gold Elimination to prepare for, O’Sullivan is hoping things will now settle into a predictable rhythm for the filly.
O’Sullivan and Cambridge resident David Goodrow purchased Mach A Wish after she had posted two straight victories in the maiden class at Kawartha Downs for trainer Murray Brethour in late February.
“When I heard she was for sale I bought her within about five minutes,” recalls O’Sullivan. “I bought her as a good race mare, with no money made. I think there is a big upside to horses like that.”
Mach A Wish reeled off two more wins at Woodbine Racetrack — recording her 1:53.4 personal best in a leg of the Blossom Series — one fifth and a second for her new owners before suffering the injury on April 23. While O’Sullivan is confident the youngster can carve out a niche in the Gold Series, he also admits that the Grassroots win at Grand River gives her options heading into the second half of the Ontario Sires Stakes season.
“She raced in the Grassroots, she can always return, but I felt it was worth giving her a chance with the others,” notes the trainer.
“If she can’t beat one (Monday), we’ll know she doesn’t belong,” he adds.
The filly currently sits in twentieth spot in the Grassroots standings with 50 points and could compete in two more regular season events. The top 16 point earners advance to the Grassroots post season. The current cut off for one of 10 spots in the Gold Series Super Final is 24 points, achievable with two top three finishes, and two regular season events will remain after the Aug. 27 Gold Final at Mohawk.
Mach A Wish will make her bid for a share of the Gold Elimination points and $40,000 purse from Post 5 in Monday’s fifth race. Two-time Gold Final champ and division leader Cooking The Books starts from Post 1 and Canadian Breeders Champion Class Of O Nine gets Post 9. The top 10 fillies across the finish line will earn a return invitation to Mohawk Racetrack for the Aug. 27 Gold Final.
Mohawk Racetrack’s Monday evening program begins at 7:10 p.m., and the three-year-old pacing fillies will step to centre stage in Race 5.
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To view entries for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack.