by Sandra Snyder

Rexdale, ON — When the three-year-old pacing fillies return to Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday night for their C$130,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final, Gord Irwin and Murray Ross are not expecting to head home with a trophy.

Their filly Invitro heads into Saturday’s contest on a six race win streak and the long time partners have been mentally preparing for the end of the thrill ride for over a month.

“We never dreamt this would ever happen. It sort of surprises us each time we race,” says Irwin. “Paul (MacDonell) made a statement to us after she won at Flamboro. He said, ‘Enjoy one race at a time because we are going to get beat, that’s the name of the game,’ so that’s our philosophy.

“It’s a different kind of enjoyment — it’s enjoyment with pressure — but both Murray and I are enjoying it, and trying to enjoy it with friends and family.”

A dominant player on the Gold Series scene as a two-year-old, earning $188,299, Invitro has gained momentum with every start this season. After wintering in Florida with Irwin, the daughter of Camluck and Keystone Trinidad made her sophomore debut in the May 22 Gold Elimination at Western Fair Raceway. Starting from the outside post seven, the filly finished third, but only the winners and three second place finishers advanced to the Final.

Two weeks later Irwin prepped Invitro for the second Gold event with an overnight at Mohawk Racetrack where she drew post nine and finished fifth, just one length behind the winner.

On June 14 in Gold Elimination action, Invitro just missed scoring her first victory of the season, finishing second by a head to Special Magic, and that was the last time she and driver Paul MacDonell failed to reach the winner’s circle.

Invitro captured the June 21 Gold Final, swept her elimination and the Final of the Flamboro Downs Gold Series in spite of being hampered by the outside post eight in the Final, cruised to a six length victory in her Canadian Breeders Championship Elimination and then set a 1:50³ stakes record in the July 31 Final. Last week’s elimination saw another flawless steer by MacDonell result in the filly’s sixth straight victory.

“I’ve known Paul since he was a teenager and I know his Mom and Dad well,” says Irwin, who trains the talented pacer. “When I phoned him from Florida I said I’ll train her the best I can and you drive her the best you can and if we make a mistake with her we’ll just move on to the next race.

“I trust completely that Paul is not going to hurt her and that he is going to do what’s best for her.”

And doing what’s best for Invitro has become the Cobourg resident’s primary pursuit. Rather than prescribing to a rigid training regimen the 66-year-old lets Invitro dictate each day’s activity and the result has been a happy, healthy filly.

“The main thing is to keep her happy. That’s my main goal,” says Irwin, who is stabled near Ross’s Norwood farm. “It depends on her and how she races. I’m usually very light on her because she’s not a big strong filly and every week could be different. I go basically on what she’s telling me. We’ve just gotten to know each other and trust each other.”

Irwin adds that the winner of $404,979 is not the kind of horse you develop an affectionate relationship with, calling her testy, and says she knows when it’s time to put her game face on.

“When I have her on the farm or in Florida my main concern is to keep her happy so I let her away with murder, and she knows I do, but when Paul or Rick Zeron get on the race bike she knows it’s business,” he explains. “She is a very clever, very smart animal and I think she knows when to use and when to reserve herself.”

Invitro and MacDonell will set up for work from post seven in Saturday’s fourth race, with the other elimination winner Double The Fun starting from post nine. Last year’s top filly Serious Comfort gets post one, while Western Fair Gold Final winner Taylor Lynne will start from post two.

Woodbine Racetrack’s first race goes to the post at 7:40 p.m.

WOODBINE GOLD FINAL — RACE 4 — C$130,000
1 – Serious Comfort (Precious Bunny) R. Mayotte R. Atkin
2 – Taylor Lynne (Fit For Life) J. Jamieson C. Jamieson
3 – Double Creme (Albert Albert) Ra. Waples D. Marfisi
4 – Converging Spirit (Grinfromeartoear) Ph. Hudon R. Atkin
5 – Late Night Babe (Grinfromeartoear) C. Christoforou S. Forbes
6 – Illusionist (Camluck) M. MacDonald C. Jamieson
7 – Invitro (Camluck) P. MacDonell G. Irwin
8 – Armbro Berlin (Village Jiffy) K. Oliver B. Wallace
9 – Double The Fun (Grinfromeartoear) M. Saftic S. Forbes