by Greg Blanchard, media/communications, Woodbine Entertainment Group

Campbellville, ON — Driver Paul MacDonell held the hot hands in Friday night’s (July 20) Canadian Breeders Championship eliminations for 3-year-old filly trotters and pacers at Mohawk Racetrack as he steered home a pair of winners.

He clicked first with All Time Favourite in the opening C$37,890 filly trot split, as the daughter of Angus Hall scored gate-to-wire in 1:58.1.

It was the second straight and third overall win this season for the Mark Steacy trainee, who turned back Caught My Eye and Gianna De Vie.

MacDonell came right back in the second filly pace elimination with Mach You And Me, a filly he owns in partnership with the Carwin Stables of Orono, Ontario. The daughter of Mach Three scored in 1:52 over Luck Of Michelle and Twin B Diva. It was her fourth win this season in nine starts and put her over the C$100,000 mark in earnings.

Despite the win, the filly seems to have recently developed a bad habit prior to her races.

“She’s started to act up on us a bit before the races in her last two or three starts,” said MacDonell. “She’s just full of herself right now I guess and it’s something we’ll have to work on and see if we can correct it.”

Milliondollarsmile extended her current unbeaten streak to three with an absolutely dominant win in the first elimination in 1:51.2 for driver Randy Waples.

The Million Dollar Cam lass got away second in the early going and then retook command just past the :26.4 first quarter. She continued on top the rest of the way and turned back token challenges from the first-over Jans Luck and the pocket-sitting Michelle’s Power with a strong :27-second final stanza. Michelle’s Power held on for second.

“She doesn’t mind playing rope-a-dope around the final turn,” said Waples during a post-race interview. “I was totally confident in her. She is just crackin tight right now and at the top of her game. I’m just very lucky that I picked her up at just the right time.”

Friday night’s win was the sixth in 12 starts this season for the Shawn Robinson trainee. Her bankroll now sits at just over C$180,000 for owners Morris, Brett and Connor Wright of Ontario.

The other trot elimination was captured by Carolyn AS, who also extended her current winning streak to three with a hard-fought 1:56.3 victory for Jack Moiseyev. She was just able to wear down a surprisingly strong Summer Audit with Matriarch grabbing the show spot.

Friday night’s winners got the chance to choose their post positions for next weekend’s Canadian Breeders Championships. In the trot final, All Time Favourite and Carolyn AS took posts two and three, respectively. The complete draw, however, is on hold pending an appeal by trainer Mark Austin whose Vanilla Rainbow finished fourth but was placed sixth for a violation of the breaking rule at the finish.

Here is a look at the complete field in post position order for next weekend’s C$184,416 filly pace final:

1. Jans Luck
2. Mach You And Me
3. Milliondollarsmile
4. Luck Of Michelle
5. Simply Mavelous
6. Canadette
7. Spun Sugar
8. Twin B Diva
9. Michelle’s Power
10. Trim Hanover
AE1 Quail Seelster