by Karen Briggs, WEG media

Campbellville, ON — 24 top 2-year-old pacing fillies vied for spots in the She’s A Great Lady stakes on Saturday night (August 25) in three C$35,000 eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack.

The first three finishers in each elim, plus one fourth-place finisher to be drawn, will earn their way into the C$782,200 final on September 1, with the elim winners having the privilege of drawing their post positions.

In the first split, it was prohibitive favorite Beachy Girl (Real Desire-Color Me Beachy) who lived up to her billing, kicking away after an easy half under cover in :57.2 and turning back longshot challenger See And Be Seen, with John Campbell, at the wire, to win in 1:53.4. Red In The Face, with Randy Waples in the bike, held on for third.

Driver Brian Sears commented, “I was fairly confident (at the gate) — she felt real good to me. She was a little aggressive early in the mile, but she’s five-for-five for a reason. She has a lot of class.

“There’s a little headwind (tonight),” he added. “As soon as I tipped three-wide, she had to fight that all the way down the lane. She had a right to be a little tired, but she raced real good. Every time I called on her she kept trying. She did get a little tired late, but when I called on her again, she tried some more.

“She’s got the talent, she’s got some ability, she’s good-gaited and she has some heart — what more do you want?”

Beachy Girl, a $21,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale, is trained and co-owned by Joe Seekman of Centerville, Michigan along with Hal Hewitt of Versailles, Kentucky. She makes her record a perfect six-for-six with this win.

New Image Media photo

Thong won her elimination for driver Tim Tetrick in 1:53.3.

In the second of the three eliminations, 9-5 favorite Thong, with Tim Tetrick at the lines, pulled off a repeat of her confident performance in last week’s Eternal Camnation Stakes, stalking A And Gs Confusion (John Campbell) in deep stretch and cruising by her in the final strides to win in a new lifetime best of 1:53.3. 50-1 shot Arts Diva (Randy Waples) came from far back to grab the show ticket, and U Make Me Laugh was fourth. Betting second choice, Good News Lady, held the lead at the :56.4 half-mile but couldn’t sustain the effort.

Thong, a daughter of Western Hanover–Bikini Line, is trained and co-owned by Toby Lynch, Jr. along with Jason Lynch of Delaware. This is her third win in five lifetime starts and will push her bankroll over the C$100,000 mark.

Said Tetrick, “I expected a big race. I was hoping someone would come and cover my mare up; you know she’s still green and she doesn’t know how to do everything yet, but she’s very handy and very push-button.

“I had to work her to get by John (Campbell),” he added. “John’s mare raced really good first up, so I was really pleased that my mare hunted John’s horse down like that.”

Tetrick described the filly’s racing style as deceptive. “When she’s in the hole, she won’t even grab the bit — the lines are flopping, you can’t get her to grab the bit,” he said, “but when she’s got clear sailing, she starts surging. That’s very good, that’s taught, and Toby’s done a great job teaching her that.”

Breaking the pattern, the final She’s A Great Lady elimination was a free-for-all, with the lead changing hands multiple times before All Accounted For, under the capable direction of John Campbell, emerged from the scrimmage and paced to a two length lead for the win. Beyonce Blue Chip and Paul MacDonell held on for second, with longshot Timeless Artist (Brian Sears) third. Previously unbeaten 6-5 favorite Victim Of Love (Mark MacDonald) could only manage fourth.

The winning time of 1:54.2 was a new lifetime best for Bob McIntosh trainee All Accounted For, who was second in her division of last week’s Eternal Camnation Stakes to Good News Lady. McIntosh and Paul Ysebaert of Mooretown, Ontario, bred and own the daughter of Camluck-Strike A Balance.

“I thought she’d race better off cover,” said Campbell of the filly, who now has two wins in six tries to her credit. “She was a little green on the front (last week) — it was the first time she’d been there, and she just didn’t know what to do when I asked her at the head of the stretch. But tonight when I tipped her off her cover she was all business and went a very nice mile.”

The post positions for the She’s A Great Lady Stakes on September 1 will look like this: 1. Thong, 2. Beachy Girl, 3. All Accounted For, 4. Red In The Face, 5. Timeless Artist, 6. Beyonce Blue Chip, 7. Arts Diva, 8. See And Be Seen, 9. A And Gs Confusion, 10. U Make Me Laugh.