"Girl power" could be the proper term for Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday, as along with the Milton Stakes Elimination, there is an OSS Gold Final for two-year-old pacing fillies and a pair of Gold Eliminations for two-year-old trotting fillies.
In his equine clinic Dr. Dan McMaster calls the shots, but when it comes to two-year-old trotting filly Feels Like Magic the Campbellville resident admits that his veterinary intern Tine Nielsen is the chief decision maker.
"Tine makes all the calls. She really knows trotters," says McMaster, who is one-third of the Feels Like Magic Stable along with Moffat resident Nielsen and Dr. David Powell of Campbellville. "Tine picked her out. She phoned us and said, 'I got a good one; do you want in?'"
McMaster and Powell said, 'Yes', and so far it is a decision they do not regret. Heading into the fourth Gold Elimination of the season this Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack, Feels Like Magic looks like she is evolving into a serious contender on the talent laden Ontario Sires Stakes circuit.
Since making her debut in an Aug. 10 qualifier, Feels Like Magic has posted a runner-up finish in a Gold Elimination, a fourth in a Gold Final and a second in a division of the Champlain Stakes, all over Mohawk's seven-eighths mile oval.
"Tine and Kevin have brought her along slow and managed her well," says McMaster, "And it looks like, just maybe, she might be a good one."
Along with their careful management, Nielsen and O'Reilly have also tried to give Feels Like Magic a boost by pairing her up with a wise and experienced racing veteran. The daughter of Kadabra and Doyenne spends her time in the paddock with trotting mare Snazzy Millie, a winner of over $1 million.
"She's great, she's a bit of a character," says McMaster of Feels Like Magic, "And she doesn't have too bad a mentor to look up to. She goes out in the field with Snazzy Millie at Kevin's farm."
On Saturday, Feels Like Magic will put all of Snazzy Millie's wise counsel to good use from Post 4 in the second of two Gold Eliminations. Among the fillies she and Hall of Fame horseman Bill O'Donnell will see in Race 6 are former Gold Elimination winners Beyond Limits, Somebody To Love, and Sugar Coated Lindy, who will be handicapped by Posts 9, 10 and 11.
The two-year-old trotting filly Gold Eliminations, Races 3 and 6 on Mohawk's Saturday evening program, flank the highly anticipated $130,000 Gold Final for the two-year-old pacing fillies.
The pacing fillies impressed fans at the Campbellville oval last week, laying down a trio of exceptional elimination miles in spite of a racing surface rated three seconds slower than normal. Leading the way in the speed show was first time Gold Series starter Voelz Hanover, who stopped the clock at 1:53.4.
"She raced very, very hard last week," says trainer-driver Rick Zeron. "She got kind of hard pressed - the second quarter in :27 and a piece - and overcame that and came down the stretch for me with a big mile on a bad night."
Voelz Hanover started her season off with a string of three victories at Hippodrome de Montreal in July, then made it four straight with a win at Mohawk on Aug. 5. Scratched sick out of her Robert Stewart division, the filly moved into Zeron's barn in time for the Aug. 25 Shes A Great Lady elimination, where she finished fifth. Second in the Shes A Great Lady Consolation, Voelz Hanover then finished third in her Champlain Stakes division on Sept. 7 before returning to the winner's circle after last week's elimination performance.
"She's a real nice filly. She does everything perfect," says the horseman, who trains Voelz Hanover for R. Berthiaume Inc. of Montreal, QC. "She's all around just a great filly to work around, and just nice to be around. I'm looking for really big things from her this weekend."
Voelz Hanover will start from the advantageous Post 1 in Saturday's Gold Final, while the other two elimination winners, Style Semalu and Chancey Lady, will be hampered by Posts 7 and 9.
Post time for Mohawk Racetrack's Ontario Sires Stakes showcase this Saturday, Sept. 22 is 7:20 p.m.. The freshman pacing fillies square off in their third Gold Final in Race 5, while the trotting fillies get their fourth Gold Series under way in Races 3 and 6.
(OSS)