by Sandra Snyder
Campbellville, ON — When the two-year-old trotting fillies step up behind the gate at Mohawk Racetrack on Tuesday for their C$130,000 Gold Final, fans will be treated to “a little taste of Philly.”
When Melvin Hartman purchased elimination winner Philhallmonic for $115,000 last fall the filly was named Myrtle May. The Ottawa resident and his wife Joan opted to change her name and in a nod to sire Angus Hall and Joan’s native Philadelphia they came up with the more lyrical Philhallmonic.
“If I change the name of a horse I have a deal with my wife that it usually contains a Philly reference,” says Hartman, who also named a Camluck yearling FourthNSouth, a Blissful Hall weanling Society Hill and a Striking Sahbra weanling BroadNPattison in a salute to the City of Brotherly Love.
Philhallmonic will do her best to honour her unusual namesake from post six in Tuesday’s fourth race and Hartman is hoping the winner of $63,206 can build on the gritty victory she scored in the elimination round.
Leaving from post nine, driver Patrick Lachance allowed the filly to float off the gate and was sitting on the outside in sixth at the quarter pole. Making their way toward the leaders the pair were second by a neck at the half and reached the front only to face a challenge from runner-up Elena, who pressured Philhallmonic through the remainder of the 1:59 mile. At the wire Lachance and the stubborn youngster were awarded the victory by a nose.
“She went a real, real tough trip last week. I spoke to Patrick (Lachance) and he didn’t push her, he just let her trot,” says Hartman, who entrusts the filly’s training to Guelph resident Rene Laarman. “She just didn’t want to let anyone past. I think she showed a lot of heart, we were very proud of her.
“Post six shouldn’t bother her, but there are some other nice fillies in there. (Elimination winner) Honour Way is a very nice filly,” he adds. “We’ll just keep our fingers crossed.”
Hartman owns Philhallmonic in partnership with Charles Armstrong of Brampton and Dr. Scott Anderson of Campbellville, selling minority shares to the two men after they admired the filly as a yearling last fall.
“I usually own horses by myself, but I have a lot of broodmares and I keep them at the farm Charlie Armstrong owns with his daughter. I also send my yearlings up there after I buy them and Charlie really notices the conformation and pedigree of what I buy. He approached me and asked if he could take a piece of one,” recalls Hartman. “Then my vet at Rene’s, Dr. Scott Anderson, did the same thing. They both called and asked if they could take a piece.
“As soon as I saw her at the sale I knew she was coming home with me. I’m like a kid in a candy shop when you take me to the sales,” Hartman admits with chuckle. “But she’s a beautiful filly. If you were going to purchase a filly she is exactly what you want them to look like. She’s just put together perfectly.”
Philhallmonic and her freshman trotting filly peers square off in the fourth race at Mohawk Racetrack on Tuesday, with the first race going postward at 7:40 p.m. The C$130,000 contest is the second last Gold Final on the fillies schedule this season.
MOHAWK RACETRACK GOLD FINAL — TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5
RACE 4 — C$130,000
Post – Horse – Sire – Driver – Trainer
1 – World Class Image (Balanced Image) Ra. Waples P. Hunt
2 – Lookit (Royal Strength) W. Henry R. Henry
3 – Honour Way (Angus Hall) C. Christoforou D. Tingley
4 – Northern Bonnet (Yankee Paco) R. Mayotte R. Atkin
5 – Spiaggia (Yankee Paco) R. Zeron R. Fellows
6 – Philhallmonic (Angus Hall) P. Lachance R. Laarman
7 – Elena (San Pellegrino) T. Ritchie C. Beaver
8 – Maleficent (Royal Ballad) T. Durand T. Durand
9 – Heartful Image (Balanced Image) S. Condren R. McIntosh
10 – Fan Favourite (Angus Hall) L. Ouellette P. Buer
AE1 – Dream On Bernie (Berndt Hanover) G. Zirnis G. Zirnis