Poof She's Gone, Christiana Hanover win BC elims

Odds-on Poof Shes Gone, and 32-1 longshot Christiana Hanover, proved impressive winners of their elims for two-year-old trotting fillies Friday at Woodbine, in preparation for next Saturday’s $617,880 Breeders Crown final.

 

Five horses in each elim qualified for the final, with the winners getting to choose post positions before the balance of the field is drawn.

 

In Friday’s first elim, Poof Shes Gone and driver Dave Miller did what a 1-5 shot is supposed to do: win...in track record time of 1:55.4. And although the margin was just three-quarters of a length, the heavy favourite handily fended off a challenge from Spicy Wings and John Campbell the length of the stretch for the popular score.

 

With the field reduced to only six after the scratch of Bone A Fide, it was left to Levis Lady to skirt to the front, taking her rivals through an opening quarter in 28 seconds.

 

Meanwhile, Miller had Poof Shes Gone motoring up to challenge from third and took over after the half was reached in 58 seconds flat. Spicy Wings then flew up around the far turn to challenge and appeared poised to blow by the leader after a 1:27.1 third quarter.

 

But Poof Shes Gone, a daughter of Kadabra, held steady through the lane for the victory, her eighth win in 10 starts this year, while banking over $615,000 so far for trainer Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman and owners Mel Hartman, Herb Liverman, David McDuffee, and John Fielding.

 

Tequila Slammer (Paul MacDonell), after making a break at the start, rallied well for third, with Ultimate Cameron (Mike Lachance) fourth and Levis Lady (Brian Sears) fifth.

 

The second elimination provided a major shock, as 32-1 Christiana Hanover and driver Steve Condren split horses in deep stretch and was able to nail pacesetter Southwind Samurai (John Campbell), an even bigger longshot at 67-1, and the 8-5 second choice, Costa Rica (Ron Pierce) at the wire. The final time was 1:57.0.

 

Meanwhile, the 7-5 favourite, Fashion Feline (Brian Sears), a winner in seven of her 10 starts prior to tonight, recovered after a first quarter break to finish a well-beaten fourth, seven and one half-lengths behind, with Action Broadway fifth, as five Crowns hopefuls made costly breaks during the elim.

 

Southwind Samurai cut out comfortable fractions of 27.3, 58.3 and 1:28.4 and looked like she might be able to hold off Costa Rica, who came into the elim with over $831,000 on her card from eight wins and four seconds. Suddenly, Christiana Hanover found a seam between the leaders and poked her neck in front on the wire.

 

A daughter of Andover Hall, Christiana Hanover, who is trained by Rina Rekila for Esa Lahtinen of Campbellville, Ontario, has now won three of her four starts. She debuted with victories in Sarnia, then Kawartha Downs, before finishing second at Mohawk in a conditioned event on October 1. (WEG)