by Mark McKelvie, WEG Communications

Campbellville, ON — The Pure Ivory series continued Monday night (Aug. 10) at Mohawk Racetrack with two $9,240 divisions.

The rookie trotting fillies had to deal with fog and a track rated two seconds off due to showers that started in the afternoon and carried into the evening’s races.

Safekeeping went gate-to-wire to win for driver Jack Moiseyev.

In the first division, Safekeeping went gate-to-wire to win her career debut for driver Jack Moiseyev and trainer Charalambos Christoforou.

The daughter of Muscle Hill-Severence was sent forward by Moiseyev to grab the early lead in the field of six. Rose Run Reanna, who finished second in the first leg, was pressing at the leader around the first turn, but made a break and left the ball in the court of Safekeeping.

The Christoforou trainee posted fractions of :31.1, 1:03.1 and 1:33 over the track rated as “good” before trotting home comfortably in :29 for the 1-1/4 length victory in 2:02. Hills Angel, who was third turning for home, trotted home in :28 to finish second, while Crazy Wild Desire sprinted home in :27.3 to get up for third.

Safekeeping, who is owned and bred by Banjo Farms and Christoforou, had qualified twice before making her career debut Monday. The victory earned her a $4,620 payday in her career debut, while the clocking of 2:02 was a fifth slower than her mark of 2:01.4 taken in a 2-year-old race. A $2 win ticket on Safekeeping returned $4.90.

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Pennies From Above, a $120,000 yearling, was a 2:01.1 victor.

The second division featured Thisladysdynamite, the opening leg winner, in a scratched down field of five. Despite finishing third in the opening leg, the public made Dustin Jones trainee Pennies From Above the 3-5 favorite over Thisladysdynamite.

Driven by Jones, Pennies From Above got away in third just behind Thisladysdynamite, but the opening leg winner made a quick move in the second quarter to the front for driver Doug McNair. After posting panels of 1:01.2 and 1:32.1, Thisladysdynamite led the field into the lane with Pennies From Above coming to the far outside to take a shot at the leader.

The Jones trainee powered her way up beside Thisladysdynamite in mid-stretch and pulled ahead in the final eighth to win by three-quarters of a length in 2:01.1. Sound Of Music finished third.

A daughter of Cantab Hall-Quick Credit, Pennies From Above is owned by Jean Pierre Barjon of Vanves, France. The rookie trotting filly is a full sister to O’Brien Award winner Wheeling N Dealin and was purchased for $120,000 as a yearling at last year’s Harrisburg sale. Monday’s maiden breaking victory came in just the second career start for Pennies From Above and increases her earnings to $5,729. She paid $3.40 to win.

The C$35,400 Pure Ivory series final will take place next Monday (Aug. 17).