Bay Girl, Cross Of Lorraine win CBC filly finals

Bay Girl and Cross Of Lorraine emerged victorious in the Canadian Breeders Championship three-year-old filly Pace and Trot, respectively, Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack, part of the Maple Leaf Trot undercard.

 

It was no surprise that trainer Casie Coleman conditioned the winner of the $169,339 Filly Pace, but most expected it would be the 1-5 favorite, Western Silk. Instead, it was her 6-1 stablemate Bay Girl, with driver Tim Tetrick, who led the entire trip, outbattling Ice Ice Baby and Western Silk in a stiff three horse drive to the wire.

 

The winning margin was a nose, with Western Silk, who had appeared set to blow by the leader after a three-wide move turning for home, just a half-length back in third, in a stakes record-equalling 1:50.

 

It was just the second victory in eight stars this year for the daughter of Royal Mattjesty, after a very productive two-year-old campaign when winning four times and earning $205,322.

 

“She got off the gate real easy,” said Tetrick. “She got to settle right up on the front. I just wanted to let her do her work. She fought game today. Those fillies got by her and she fought back the last steps. They had to work as hard to keep up with her as I was working on the front. She was setting those fractions (:26.2, 54.3 and 1:21.4) real easy. She showed her guts and fought back.”

 

Meanwhile, Cross Of Lorraine, co-owned and trained by Carl Jamieson, sent postward a slight 6-5 favourite over Poof Shes Gone, also wired her rivals in the $158,673 Filly Trot, while setting a stakes record of 1:53.4. Driven by Jody Jamieson, Cross Of Lorraine took the field through fractions of 27.1, :56.3 and 1:25, before repulsing a stretch bid from Poof Shes Gone, with Emmylou Who a locked-in third on the rail.

 

The winning margin was one and one-half lengths, as the daughter of Angus Hall was taking her seventh victory in nine starts this year in a banner campaign. Poof Shes Gone nosed out Emmylou Who for the place award.

 

“She just did what she always does,” said Jamieson. “She fights off everybody on the front end. When I could zip right to the lead I wasn’t going to let anybody go. She fought hard, right to the wire. At one point halfway down the stretch, Poof Shes Gone dug right in and got to my saddle pad, but my filly was just really good today. I don’t know how much was left in the tank when they go in (1):53.4.” (WEG)