by Sandra Snyder, for the Ontario Sires Stakes

Campbellville, ON — Mohawk Racetrack’s Sunday evening (June 24) program is the site of the second battle in the 3-year-old pacing filly Gold Series rivalry, and a number of new faces will join the warriors who shattered track records at Western Fair Raceway earlier this month.

Riding into the C$118,000 event with the least experience of all the Ontario Sires Stakes novices is Mach You And Me, who has just six starts under her belt. In the three most recent of those six starts however, the Mach Three daughter has logged two wins and one second, and trainer Ron O’Neill thinks she belongs with the province’s best.

“Luck Of Michelle is in there and Gregg McNair’s filly (Canadette) is in there, and they are tough fillies, they’re all tough fillies,” says the Cambridge resident. “But just depending on the way the race goes, I think they’ll know she’s in there.”

In O’Neill’s eyes Mach You And Me earned her spot in Sunday’s Gold Elimination with her 1:52.3 victory at Mohawk on June 14. With part-owner Paul MacDonell in the race bike, Mach You And Me fired to the front from post seven in :26.4, laid down a :56.3 half and a 1:25.1 three-quarters and then kicked home in :27.2 to record the six length victory.

“Paul kind of knew that there was something special there, it was just a matter of teaching her how to race,” explains O’Neill. “When she won the other day she was pretty impressive and we decided to give her a shot.”

Guelph resident MacDonell shares ownership on the filly with breeder Carwin Stables of Orono and the partners opted to hand her over to O’Neill in mid-May when she started to give Carwin principal Dennis Caruana a few problems. Through three starts Mach You And Me had recorded one fourth, one fifth and one seventh, but she was having trouble focusing on her work.

“She was just giving him a few little problems around other horses,” recalls O’Neill. “She was getting a little warm around the other horses, so I opened her right up and she seems to be getting better. She’s a nice filly. She’s got a beautiful gait to her.”

Mach You And Me and MacDonell will make their Gold Series debut from post one in the second Gold elimination, with veterans Quail Seelster, Milliondollarsmile, Luck Of Michelle and Canadette lining up at posts two, six, seven, and eight. The other newcomers in the race, Keystone Eager, Almost A Lady and Stabilo, will start in the middle of the field at posts three, four, and five.

The first Gold elimination features reigning Gold Final champion and Western Fair Raceway track record holder Jans Luck from post three and recent Flamboro Breeders Stake winner and track record holder Michelle’s Power from post seven.

The top five finishers from each elimination — races three and six on Mohawk Racetrack’s 7:20 p.m. program this Sunday — will return to the Campbellville oval on Sunday, July 1, for the second C$130,000 Gold Final on their schedule this season.