Crys Dream Dazzles In Goldsmith Maid Elims

Crys Dream established herself as the early favourite in next week's $502,000 Goldsmith Maid with a track record performance in her elimination Friday night at Woodbine Racetrack.

Crys Dream lowered the track record for two-year-old trotting fillies to 1:55.1 with her wire-to-wire romp in the first of two $25,000 eliminations.

Driven by Luc Ouellette, the daughter of Taurus Dream-Crystas Image left from Post 3 and carved out fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:27.4 en route to a two length victory. Cedar Dove (Ron Pierce) journeyed first over to place and Creme De Cocoa (Doug Ackerman) was third off a pocket trip. Fourth and fifth-place finishers L A Freeway (Paul MacDonell) and Cheetah Hall (Jody Jamieson) also advance to the final.

The 1:55.1 winning time shaved two-fifths of a second off Poof Shes Gone’s former record and equaled Woodbine’s overall two-year-old trotting mark set by Lucky Chucky in last year’s Breeders Crown eliminations.

Crys Dream paid $3.70 to win as the 4-5 favourite. The Henrik Hollsten trainee is now six-for-seven in her career with victories in the In Free Trotting Series, Champlain Stakes and Peaceful Way Stakes. She has banked $345,065 for breeder Reve Avec Moi Dreamwithme of Knowlton, Que., Deo Volente Farms LLC of Flemington and the T L P Stable of Kearny, New Jersey.

Fresh off a victory in the International Stallion Stakes at Lexington’s The Red Mile, Massive Drama pulled off an 8-1 upset in the second elimination after Breeders Crown champion Martiniontherocks (Ron Pierce) made an early break to her inside.

Jody Jamieson fired the Credit Winner-Shannon Hall filly to the lead from Post 7 and she showed the way to the first quarter in :28.3 before 49-1 Ugotlegs (Luc Ouellette) made a backstretch brush from fourth and took over.

Ugotlegs hit the half in :59 while Lady Rainbow (Rick Zeron) jumped it off when attempting a first over move. She then led the field to three-quarters in 1:28 but Massive Dream moved back out for more down the stretch and trotted to an one length victory in 1:58.4. Ugotlegs hung on for second while As Yall Like It (Paul MacDonell) and Musclemad (Yves Gauthier) came on for third and fourth. Fifth place finisher Quantum Victoria (Trevor Ritchie) also advances to the final.

“I figured I was going to be able to line up on the front right away once [Martiniontherocks] ran," said Jamieson in the winner's circle. "The only other thing I was thinking about around the first turn was where was Ricky [Rick Zeron and Lady Rainbow] and I saw him at the half and he rolled off stride. These trotters, you can pull your hair out racing them - they make breaks and that's just a fact of life. Sometimes longshots come in and upset and today was one of those days.

"When Luc came I was just walking," he explained. "My horse is real green, she was out in the middle of the track, she had her ears up and it was good that Luc came. Around the last turn, she swelled right up on his back and I thought I had a shot but Ricky's filly she'll run and she'll come back and trot huge trips and Martiniontherocks ran and I didn't know if she got back trotting or not. It was a short field and anything can happen. I was just concentrating on getting my filly out clean and keeping her trotting all the way to the wire. Winning was a bonus, obviously."

Massive Drama paid $19.60 for the upset. She is trained by Mark Harder for Stable 45 of Hauppauge, New York, Deena Rachel Frost of Delray Beach, Florida and Peter Venturini of Rockaway, New Jersey. Massive Drama has won three times in eight outings so far this year while banking $82,590.

Here is a look at the field for the final:

1. Cheetah Hall
2. Ugotlegs
3. Massive Drama
4. Crys Dream
5. Massive Drama
6. As Yall Like It
7. Musclemad
8. Quantum Victoria
9. L A Freeway
10. Cedar Dove

Eliminations for the two-year-old Fall Four Stakes continue on Saturday night. Two eliminations will determine the field for the $539,700 Valley Victory for trotting colts and geldings while only one elimination is necessary for the $709,000 Governor’s Cup for pacing colts and geldings. Eliminations are not necessary for the $501,000 Three Diamonds, which will feature a field of seven pacing fillies. All four finals will take place on Saturday, November 6 along with the $100,000 Gold Cup Invitational Pace.

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