by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

CAMPBELLVILLE – The stage for the C$754,500 final of the Shes A Great Lady Stakes (September2) is now set after three C$35,000 eliminations were contested Saturday evening at Mohawk.

Cabana Fever ($9.90, $4.00, $2.60) was spectacular in the opening elim for driver Luc Ouellette and trainer Joe Seekman, as the daughter of first-crop sire Real Desire snapped Luck Of Michelle’s ($2.20, $2.10) career unbeaten streak by posting a neck victory in a track record time of 1:51.4.

Cabana Fever, who was a $25,000 Harrisburg Yearling purchase, had sat third before the :27.1 opening call and quickly thereafter made a quarter-pole move to the lead. Driver Mike Saftic instantly followed suit with Luck Of Michelle, going from fourth to first before the :55.3 half-mile pole. The two horses sat one-two past the 1:24.4 three-quarters pole and into the lane. Ouellette and his mount occupied the pocket until mid-stretch, and when the Campbellville resident tipped her out, she dug in and got up on the World Record holder in the last few strides before the wire.

Michelles Power ($3.10), driven by David Miller, finished third, beaten six lengths.

“At the beginning of the race, I was hoping to move to the front before [Luck Of Michelle] could, and it worked out that way,” Ouellette said about Cabana Fever, who, with her performance, erased Modern Medicine’s 2004 two-year-old pacing filly track record of 1:52.1. “Sometimes you have too much confidence in the competition; I didn’t think we could beat [Luck Of Michelle], but a trip off her back would’ve gotten us into [the final], and that’s what I was aiming for.”

Cabana Fever, who is out of the Jennas Beach Boy mare Beachy Lady, is now perfect in three career starts for owners L And L Devisser of Michigan, Sawgrass Farms of Illinois and Helping Hands Stables of Indiana.

After sitting third along the rail for the majority of the second elimination, Whitesand Gem ($26.20, $8.30, $4.90) and driver Mark MacDonald tipped out widest of all through the lane and posted a three-quarters of a length, life’s mark victory in 1:52.3 for trainer Erv Miller.

On the final turn it looked like the Blissfull Hall filly may have ended up getting shuffled to the back of the pack, but when MacDonald found room, wheeled her out wide and showed her a clear lane, Whitesand Gem dug in, defeating 2006 Sweetheart winner Isabella Blue Chip ($2.60, $2.20) and Appleoosa Hanover ($6.10) by relatively tight margins.

“[Her connections] said she had a really good kick finishing if I could save her, and she did,” MacDonald said about Whitesand Gem, who is out of the Jate Lobell mare Armbro Odessa. “I was just trying to get spotted [off the gate] and I thought I got in behind two of the better ones to beat. It set up nicely and at the head of the lane it opened up for her and she just sprinted by them.”

After the :26.1 opening quarter, Isabella Blue Chip got a breather before passing the half-mile pole in :56.1. The filly clicked off the third stanza in 1:25-flat before duking it out with three foes in the lane.

Orillia, Ontario’s Whitesand Valley Stables Inc. owns Whitesand Gem along with Gaetan Hebert, who had conditioned the filly in each of her previous five starts leading up to the elimination.

Whitesand Gem now has four wins and one second-place finish to her credit.

Ron Pierce utilized Lady Mattgalane’s ($2.80, $2.50, $2.10) push button speed in the second quarter of the third elim, as the pair shot to the lead from fourth and didn’t get headed the rest of the way, eventually posting a wrapped-up win in 1:53.1.

“She’s got very good speed,” said Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman, Lady Mattgalane’s victorious conditioner. “She can step really quickly, and that’s always a good weapon to have. I thought that perhaps she didn’t pace as good as she could have, so we’ll have to take a look at that.”

After the opening quarter (:26.1), Pierce moved the Artiscape filly first-up, cleared to the lead and cut middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:25.4 before cruising home with a :27.1 final quarter.

Lady Mattgalane, a bay out of the Matts Scooter mare Mary Mattgalane, is unbeaten in four career starts for owners Perretti Racing Stable of New Jersey, and Clay and Scott Horner of Ontario.

The post position draw for the C$754,500 final was conducted after the last elimination.

The connections of elim winners Cabana Fever, Whitesand Gem and Lady Mattgalane were able to select their charges’ post positions for the final.

The draw results are listed below.

Shes A Great Lady Stakes
Post Position – Horse – Listed Driver
1 – Lady Mattgalane – R. Pierce
2 – Whitesand Gem – Ma. MacDonald
3 – Cabana Fever – L. Ouellette
4 – Betting Machine – R. Zeron
5 – Michelles Power – D. Miller
6 – Whycantiforgetyou – J. Campbell
7 – Appleoosa Hanover – J. Jamieson
8 – Hazel – M. Baillargeon
9 – Luck Of Michelle – M. Saftic
10 – Isabella Blue Chip – D. Miller
AE1 – Trim Hanover – J. Campbell