by Sandra Snyder

Rexdale, ON — Two-year-old trotting filly Lookit demonstrated her toughness in last week’s Gold Series Elimination at Woodbine Racetrack, and heading into Tuesday’s C$130,000 Gold Final trainer Ross Henry says determined is the only word that defines the Royal Strength daughter.

“You can’t boss her, you’ve just got to go along with her,” says Henry. “She has a kind of determination of her own. She’s a little hard to handle, but she seems to want to get there.”

Lookit captured her elimination by a neck after battling tooth and nail through the last quarter mile with runner-up Real Live Woman. The fillies hit the wire in 1:59³, clocking impressive final quarters of :27⁴ and :27³.

“I expected her to finish, she seems to be a finisher,” notes the Arthur resident. “But that’s quite a last quarter, and after cutting the mile too.”

Henry shares ownership on Lookit with his sons Trevor and Wayne, who also drives the filly, and Wally Yantz of Bloomingdale. Yantz has been involved with the Henrys since 1999, when he sent trotting filly Grand Proposal up to be trained at their Arthur facility.

“Wally’s a pretty good lad. He’s down south in the winter and we go over to the other side and fish with him a bit,” says Henry. “He’s on the West coast and we’re on the East.”

Like all of Henry’s young horses, Lookit learned her early lessons in sunny Florida last winter after the veteran horseman anted up C$15,000 to acquire her at the Canadian Classic Yearling Sale.

“I went to see her before the sale,” recalls Henry. “I liked her size and conformation. She had a good rear end on her. Sometimes we don’t like that, but on fillies we do.

“And we’ve had good luck with the Royal Strengths,” adds the 74-year-old.

The filly began her freshman campaign with a runner-up finish in a June 12 qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack and two weeks later captured a Trillium Series event at Georgian Downs with a come-from-behind effort in 2:03¹. She and Wayne Henry will attempt to make it three in a row from post five in the fifth race on Tuesday’s program.

“I just hope she races all right,” says her trainer. “We don’t look to win them all you know.”

The other elimination winner, Erotica, will start from post seven in the C$130,000 Gold Final, while Real Live Woman gets post two.

Woodbine Racetrack’s first race goes postward at 7:40 p.m., with the fillies featured in race five.

ONTARIO SIRES STAKES GOLD FINAL — JULY 13 — C$130,000

1 – Keystone Leah (King Conch) Ro. Waples Ro. Waples

2 – Real Live Woman (Angus Hall) P. MacDonell G. Peck

3 – Jameson (Mr Lavec) M. Baillargeon G. Zirnis

4 – Gaelic (Angus Hall) T. Ritchie W. Bloomfield

5 – Lookit (Royal Strength) W. Henry R. Henry

6 – Meadowviewprincess (Angus Hall) D. Brown B. Shakes

7 – Erotica (Mr Lavec) D. Ackerman D. Ackerman

8 – Dream On Bernie (Berndt Hanover) G. Zirnis G. Zirnis

9 – Ja El Ginger (Balanced Image) J. Jamieson C. Jamieson

10 – Can A Daa (Wesgate Crown) Ro. Waples Ro. Waples

AE1 – B Cor Renee (CR Renegade) C. Christoforou W. Core