by Sandra Snyder

Campbellville, ON — Mom’s Apple Pie scored her first victory in last week’s Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack, but trainer Bill Budd says he has been sweet on the 2-year-old trotting filly since she arrived in his barn last fall.

“She’s just a lovely filly,” says Budd, who will send the young trotter after a second victory in this Thursday’s C$130,000 Gold final. “I can’t say a thing bad about her.”

The Waterdown resident was first drawn to Mom’s Apple Pie when he saw the filly’s video prior to last fall’s Canadian Yearling Sale. He convinced owner William Dixon to have a look at the daughter of Striking Sahbra and Mom’s Sweetie Pie, and the Caledon resident agreed with Budd’s assessment. A $22,000 bid was enough to purchase the youngster and she was soon immersed in her early education.

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Mom’s Apple Pie was a 1:56.4 winner in last Thursday’s OSS Gold elimination at Mohawk.

Budd says the youngster trained down without making an error and was impressive in qualifying action at Mohawk in June. Over a track rated two seconds slower than normal, Mom’s Apple Pie finished a closing second in her June 9 qualifier, and then came back the next week with a front end victory in 2:02.4.

Off those solid efforts Budd sent the filly to the Gold Series opener at Kawartha Downs and Mom’s Apple Pie finished second by 1-1/2 lengths in her June 28 elimination and second by a nose in the July 5 final.

Sent off as the favorite in her elimination for the second Gold Series event, Mom’s Apple Pie made a break behind the Flamboro Downs starting gate and was never part of the action. Budd says the cause of the miscue remains a mystery, but could have been a result of the filly’s trailing post nine.

“At Flamboro, I do not know what happened. I couldn’t answer if anybody asked me,” admits the trainer. “She trained all winter on a half-mile track. I think it was the post that day that was bothering her.”

Budd adds that Mom’s Apple Pie showed signs of sickness following the Flamboro start and was treated with antibiotics prior to last week’s Gold elimination. Off that impressive effort, which saw the filly and regular reinsman Mike Saftic reel in the pacesetters and roar home to a 1:56.4 victory, Budd is confident that the youngster has regained her health and will be ready to battle on Thursday.

“She’s not big, but she sure likes a big track,” says the trainer.

“She’s just a filly you don’t have to train that much. She likes her job,” he continues. “The main thing today is keeping them healthy.”

Campbellville resident Saftic will steer Mom’s Apple Pie from post eight in Thursday’s Gold final, outside two of the other three Gold elimination winners — Cardio Pump at post two and early favorite Bee A Magician at post four — but inside Legzy, who nosed her out in the Kawartha Gold Final and gets post nine for Thursday’s test. Reigning Gold final champ Charmed Life will start from post six.

No matter the result of Thursday’s contest, Budd’s fondness for Mom’s Apple Pie will remain intact. In fact the trainer has already been checking out sale catalogues for a yearling sibling to the youngster.

“She’s quite a filly,” he says.

Deep in talent, the 2-year-old trotting fillies have impressed race-goers everywhere they have competed this season and Mohawk Racetrack fans will be looking for another exceptional performance in the ninth race on Thursday.

The Campbellville oval sends its first race behind the starting gate at 7:10 p.m.

To view Mom’s Apple Pie’s previous Ontario Sires Stakes starts click here.