Freshman trotting filly Ill Wait For You rebounded from a disappointing 10th-place finish in her last start to score a 1:58.3 victory in Gold Elimination action at Kawartha Downs on Saturday night and hand Cumin First her first loss.
Trevor Ritchie picked up the catch drive on the Dan Creighton trainee for Saturday's elimination, and the trotting specialist fired Ill Wait For You out of Post 3 to a :29.3 opening quarter. The filly led easily through the :59 half, and when Easter Bonnet applied pressure from the outside at the 1:29.2 three-quarters, Ill Wait For You stood her ground and was able to open her lead to two lengths through the final turn.
Down the stretch two-time Gold Final champion Cumin First tried to reel in the pacesetter, but Ill Wait For You pressed on to a one and one-half length victory in a personal best 1:58.3. Easter Bonnet rounded out the top three in the $40,000 Gold Elimination.
Creighton shares ownership on Ill Wait For You with his partners in the Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy, Ont. and picked her out of the 2007 Forest City Yearling Sale for $62,000. The daughter of Kadabra and $118,100 winner Blue Cookie qualified twice at Mohawk Racetrack in July before making her Ontario Sires Stakes debut in the July 28 Gold Elimination at the Campbellville oval, where she posted a 1:59.4 victory. Hampered with Post 9 in the August 4 Gold Final, the filly made an early break and finished at the back of the 10 horse field.
SOS Respect earned her first Gold Elimination trophy in the second elimination, grabbing control of the race from the advantageous Post 1 and sitting comfortably on the front through fractions of :31, 1:02.4 and 1:32.2 before sprinting down the stretch to a four and three-quarter length victory in 2:00.4.
Kor Mel Lil Lady, owned by William, Brenda and Melissa Killen of Hampton, finished second and Napanee Seelster was three more lengths back in third.
Saturday's outing was SOS Respect's first under the tutelage of trainer Kevin O'Reilly and driver Bill O'Donnell. Paul Barkley of Morrisburg, Ont. purchased the Mr Lavec daughter out of the CESQ Sale for $11,000 last fall, taught SOS Respect all her early lessons and started her in the first two Gold Series events before handing her off to O'Reilly.
In her first Gold Elimination, July 13 at Flamboro Downs, the talented youngster made a break at the half and finished sixth. In the Mohawk event, she was second in her elimination and fourth in the final. Saturday's triumph boosts her season earnings to $39,600.
In the last elimination, Keep In Dutch also made her first appearance in an Ontario Sires Stakes winner's circle, and was the only one of the freshman trotting fillies to employ come-from-behind tactics to get there.
Starting from Post 5, driver Steve Condren allowed the filly to float off the starting gate into third spot and was content to watch Daylon Mystique ring up fractions of :30.2 and 1:01 before making a move to the outside. Heading by the 1:30.2 three-quarters the pair were on the move, and by the time the field turned for home, they were within one length of the leader.
Three fillies took a run at Daylon Mystique in the stretch, but when the dust settled Keep In Dutch had claimed the nose victory in 1:59.3. Stonebridge Diva battled her way into second-place and pocket sitter Paycheck Lavec landed in third.
Trainer Bob McIntosh of Windsor, Ont. and C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio bred and share ownership on Keep In Dutch with Dave Boyle of Bowmanville, Ont. The In Conchnito lass has two wins, two seconds and one third to her credit through seven starts.
The top three finishers from each Gold Elimination will return to Kawartha Down on Saturday, August 23 for their third $120,000 Gold Final.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(OSS)