by Sandra Snyder

Campbellville, ON — This year’s crop of 2-year-old trotting fillies has been impressive since their debut, and on Thursday evening (August 2) at Mohawk Racetrack they maintained their standard of excellence in four C$40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations.

Mom’s Apple Pie clocked the quickest of the four eliminations, touring the Campbellville oval in an impressive 1:56.4 for driver Mike Saftic and trainer Bill Budd.

Starting from post two, Saftic settled Mom’s Apple Pie into third as favorite Standing My Ground and Motown Muscle dueled through a :13.4 opening eighth and :28.1 quarter. Standing My Ground won the battle and had a two length lead when she reached the half in :57.3, but Saftic soon had Mom’s Apple Pie on the move and the filly was reeling in the pacesetter by the time she reached the 1:26.4 three-quarters.

In control by the time they turned for home, Saftic and Mom’s Apple Pie trotted down the Mohawk stretch to a 1-1/4 length victory over Motown Muscle and Candida.

Budd conditions Mom’s Apple Pie for owner William Dixon, who purchased the daughter of Striking Sahbra-Mom’s Sweetie Pie for C$22,000 from last fall’s Canadian Yearling Sale. Second by a nose to Legzy in the July 5 Gold final at Kawartha Downs, Mom’s Apple Pie will take aim on a trophy of her own from post eight at Mohawk next Thursday.

Legzy captured her Gold elimination on Thursday with a front end effort that saw her coast across the finish line in 1:59.2, 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Cha Cha Magic and Carmen. Regular reinsman Sylvain Filion crafted the Amigo Hall-Sahalee daughter’s third win in five starts for trainer Rob Fellows and owner-breeders Edward Wilson and Michael Pozefsky.

Legzy will be looking for her second Gold final title from post nine in next week’s C$130,000 contest.

Reigning Gold final champion Charmed Life advanced to next week’s final with a runner-up effort behind heavy favorite Bee A Magician in the second elimination.

Starting from the outside post eight, Bee A Magician sat at the back of the field until the three-quarters, when she stepped out three-wide and shifted into overdrive. An impressive :27.4 final quarter propelled the Kadabra-Beehive daughter to a 3-1/4 length victory in a personal best 1:57. Charmed Life garnered second-place honors, getting by Brenway Dixie in the stretch.

Rick Zeron engineered the impressive effort for trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman and owners Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman and David McDuffee, who purchased the filly out of the 2011 Harrisburg Yearling Sale for $90,000. With three Gold elimination trophies now in her possession, Bee A Magician will be looking to add a Gold final trophy to the collection from post four next week.

In the other elimination Cardio Pump proved that she deserved her promotion from the Grassroots Series with a 1:57.4 triumph over favorite Wind Stroll and Choir Robe. Randy Waples piloted Cardio Pump to her first Gold Series win for trainer Mark Steacy and owner Winbak Farm.

Prior to Thursday’s test the Angus Hall-Heartbeat Hanover daughter had recorded one win and one sixth in Grassroots action. She will make her Gold final debut from post two in next week’s contest.

Two third-place finishers also join the top two finishers from each elimination in next week’s C$130,000 Gold final, and Choir Robe and Carmen had luck go their way in the random draw. The complete line up for the August 9 Gold final is as follows: 1. Wind Stroll, 2. Cardio Pump, 3. Carmen, 4. Bee A Magician, 5. Motown Muscle, 6. Charmed Life, 7. Choir Robe, 8. Mom’s Apple Pie, 9. Legzy and 10. Cha Cha Magic.