Campbellville, ON --- Trainer Eric Adams says Mindsweeper’s elimination victory last week was a matter of the right trip on the right day and the Newmarket resident is hoping things work out just as well in Monday’s C$130,000 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack.
“She got a real good trip, that’s kind of what she needed,” says Adams. “She’s real good right now and she needed the trip in behind, to not get used too much early.”
Mindsweeper and driver Jody Jamieson watched the front end action from fifth in last week’s Gold Elimination and then sprinted down the stretch to a half-length victory in a personal best 1:50.4. The win was the third of the season for the daughter of Mach Three and Catch A Wish, who has not been able to catch a break when the big money is on the line.
After scoring her first win of the season in her May 18 Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association Stake elimination, Mindsweeper battled for the early lead in the final but had faded to seventh by the finish. She failed to advance to the first Gold Final of the season, but bounced back with a win in her July 14 Canadian Breeders Championship elimination. In the Canadian Breeders final Mindsweeper and Jamieson had fought their way to the front by the top of the stretch, but were caught at the wire and finished in a dead heat for third, just half a length behind winner Class Of O Nine.
The pair went into last week’s Gold Elimination off a disappointing seventh-place result in the Aug. 9 Gold Final at Kawartha Downs where Mindsweeper battled in the outer lane for much of the mile over a track rated two seconds slower than normal.
Monday’s outing will be Mindsweeper’s fifth start with Moffat resident Jamieson at the helm, and Adams is confident that the reinsman will be able to give the filly a shot at the title. The pair will make their bid for the lion’s share of C$130,000 from Post 1 in the fifth race.
“Jody is getting to know her a little better every week,” Adams explains. “He has been figuring out what works best for her and he can use that to his advantage now.”
Adams conditions Mindsweeper for owner-breeder Millar Farms of Newmarket and says his primary concern through the season has been keeping the winner of $268,033 limber between races.
“Her biggest thing really is muscle soreness,” notes the trainer. “She’s muscled over her back, and her muscle count is usually high.
“We do a little bit of chiropractic work and shock (wave) therapy, that’s good for her too, we do a combination of both,” he adds.
In addition, Mindsweeper gets turned out for at least an hour before she jogs each day and enjoys a limited training schedule during the most rigorous part of the racing season. Adams hopes all of his efforts net a positive result for the filly on Monday.
Joining Mindsweeper for the ride from Millar Farms to Mohawk will be 3-year-old pacing geldings Annuity and Abbys Luck, who will compete in two of the seven Grassroots divisions on the program. Annuity makes his bid for a share of C$24,000 from Post 9 in the eighth race, while Abbys Luck gets Post 6 in the eleventh race.
Andrew McCabe will also ship two geldings to Mohawk for Monday’s Grassroots test, and the Rockwood resident would love to see Red Carpet Dude and Life Signature reprise the victories they posted at Georgian Downs on Aug. 18.
Red Carpet Dude sprinted home to a 1:54 personal best to leap up the Grassroots standings into seventh, while Life Signature controlled the tempo on his way to a 1:55.1 score to claim a firm hold on the third spot in the point race.
“They are a pleasure to have. They do nothing wrong,” says McCabe of his entry.
Bill Manes of Rockwood and Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein share ownership of Red Carpet Dude, who has tallied two wins, one second and one third in 15 starts this season to add $32,780 to the $61,380 he earned at two. The Camluck son earned his 95 Grassroots points through one win, one second, one third and one fourth.
“He needed the win to make the semifinal,” notes McCabe, adding that the gelding did not add any stature to his frame over the winter. “He stayed right about the same size, which has been more of a hindrance to him.”
Red Carpet Dude and driver Jamieson will try and pad the gelding’s point total from Post 7 in the second race.