by Sandra Snyder

Campbellville, ON — Mohawk Racetrack fans were treated to an inspiring display of talent by the 2-year-old pacing fillies on Thursday evening (June 28), complete with high speed and tight finishes.

Jody Jamieson piloted fan favorite Love Canal to the quickest mile of the three Ontario Sire Stakes Gold eliminations, guiding the daughter of Badlands Hanover-A Votre Pante to a 1:53.3 clocking. Jamieson opted for a come-from-behind approach — trailing by almost 17 lengths after fighting through some interference at the halfway marker — and used an impressive :26.4 finishing kick to secure the half-length victory over Seaside Rory and Burlesque.

Tony O’Sullivan conditions Love Canal for owner-breeders Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Robert Cooper Stables LLC. The Cambridge resident received the daughter of $448,984 winner A Votre Pante from his U.S. counterpart Ross Croghan following a pair of qualifiers at Gaitway Farms in New Jersey where she was victorious in 1:58.3 on June 11 and third by a head in 1:57.2 on June 18.

Jamieson will steer Love Canal from post five in next week’s C$130,000 Gold Final, while Seaside Rory gets post seven and Burlesque will start along the rail.

Another daughter of first year Ontario sire Badlands Hanover captured the first Gold elimination, as Its No Secret cruised along on the front end to a 2-1/4 length win in 1:54.3. Anthony MacDonald piloted Its No Secret to her second straight victory for trainer Shawn Robinson and owner-breeder Robert Hamather. The filly was also victorious in an overnight event at Mohawk Racetrack on June 15.

Its No Secret, a second generation product of Hamather’s breeding program out of his good producing mare Secret Departure, bested fan favorite Adventurepan and Snowbird. The trio will make their bid for a share of next week’s Gold Final purse from posts nine, 10 and six, respectively.

The last Gold elimination trophy of the evening went home with lightly rated Kim’s Royal Day in a race that saw the top four finishers separated by a scant length. Kim’s Royal Day was the clear winner, with Raise Your Glass a solid second, but officials were unable to separate Nitrous Force and Burstin Bubbles in the photo-finish image and awarded a dead heat for third.

Blake MacIntosh owns and trains Kim’s Royal Day, who halted the teletimer at 1:55.2. The Royal Mattjesty-Kim’s Caper filly was piloted to the win by James MacDonald, who also steered her to a runner-up performance in qualifying action at Mohawk on June 23.

MacIntosh purchased the filly for a modest C$1,500 at last fall’s Canadian Yearling Sale, hoping she would possess some of the talent shown by her mother’s famous half-siblings, who include $1 million winner Art Maker and $700,000 winner Stock Market Wiz.

Kim’s Royal Day will start from post two in next Friday’s C$130,000 Gold Final, while Raise Your Glass will line up at post three, Nitrous Force will start from post four, and Burstin Bubbles will depart from post eight.

Mohawk fans can catch the top 10 fillies in action again next Friday (July 6) as they make their first ever start in a C$130,000 Gold Final.