Mohawk: One upsetter and one favorite win in She's A Great Lady eliminations

58-1 outsider Thats The Ticket and even-money favorite Idyllic Beach won the pair of C$35,000 She's A Great Lady eliminations for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.

Candlelight Dinner was the talk of the town heading into the ‘Great Lady’ eliminations, but an off night from the pacing filly allowed Thats The Ticket to strike for a 58-1 upset. Driven by Sylvain Filion, Thats The Ticket got away fifth and sat in that spot along the rail until just before the three-quarter pole. Meanwhile, Candlelight Dinner got away third, but made a quick brush to the lead after an opening-quarter of 28 1/5.

The 1/9 favorite led the field to the half in 56 2/5 and then paced a big 27 1/5 third quarter to lead the field to the top of the lane. In the stretch, Candlelight Dinner surrendered the lead to Happy Hannah, who enjoyed a two-hole trip. Happy Hannah appeared to have a victory in her sights, but Thats The Ticket burst onto the scene late and surged by on the far outside to win by half a length in 1:52. World Apart finished third, while Blameitonthenight was fourth. Candlelight Dinner faded back to finish fifth, but did qualify for the final.

Thats The Ticket, who was a $60,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, is trained by Chris Ryder for owners Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Lawrence Minowitz. The daughter of Roll With Joe was winless in five starts coming into the She's A Great Lady elimination. Last week, Thats The Ticket was fifth in a division of the Eternal Camnation, but paced home in 26 3/5. Despite that closing effort, Ryder wasn’t satisfied in his filly heading into Saturday’s contest.

“She paced home in 26 I know, but she’s been having trouble getting around the last turn,” said Ryder. “Even tonight Sylvain said she wasn’t perfect, but obviously better.

“Being New York-bred we went to the half-mile tracks, and she couldn’t get around the turns at all, and then at Vernon she paced in (1):52, finished second so that’s why we came here."

Thats The Ticket now has C$44,579 earned. A $2 win ticket on the Ryder trainee returned $119.

The second elimination didn’t have nearly the same fireworks, as even-money favorite Idyllic Beach prevailed in 1:51 1/5. The Jimmy Takter-trained filly was unhurried at the start by driver Gingras and found an early seat in sixth. Several fillies clashed near the front in the early going, while Gingras was able to pick up the cover of first-over challenger Agent Q heading into the far turn.

Agent Q became the new leader on the turn and reached the three-quarter pole in 1:23 4/5. In the stretch, Idyllic Beach came off cover and hooked up with Agent Q for a battle, ultimately getting by to win by three-quarters of a length. Awash and Everyones Watching finished third and fourth, respectively. The final spot to the She's A Great Lady final was secured by Obvious Blue Chip.

A daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, Idyllic Beach entered Saturday’s elimination with three wins in four starts.

“Just every start she is getting stronger and stronger,” said Gingras. “Early on we were a little bit worried about her getting a little too hot, but now she’s two fingers and drives real nice.”

Idyllic Beach is the first foal out of 2010 She's A Great Lady champion Idyllic. A $100,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, Idyllic Beach is owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Brixton Medical Inc. and Marvin Katz. She now has C$102,762 in earnings through five starts. Idyllic Beach paid $4.10 to win.

This is how the fillies will line up for next Saturday night's $427,000 final -

1. Candlelight Dinner

2. Thats The Ticket

3. World Apart

4. Idyllic Beach

5. Everyones Watching

6. Agent Q

7. Awash

8. Obvious Blue Chip

9. Blameitonthenight

10. Happy Hannah

AE: Fade

--press release (Woodbine Entertainment Group)--