Woodbine Mohawk Park: Eleganimage Stakes eliminations held

Nuance and Kngtstlkrs Games were the top performers in Friday's eliminations for the Grade 1 Elegantimage Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

With a pair of eliminations taking place, a group of 18 3-year-old trotting fillies were vying to secure a spot in next Saturday's C$400,000 final.

Marcus Melander-trained Nuance was able to reach up in the final strides to nail Leading Lady for a 1:52 1/5 victory in the first C$35,000 elimination.

With James MacDonald driving, Nuance got away fifth and would get a nice second-over tow behind Sparks heading around the far turn. Leading Lady had made a move up the backstretch from third to grab the lead away from Storybook Love at a 56 4/5 half.

After reaching three-quarters in 1:24 4/5, Leading Lady looked poised to convert on her 1-2 billing. However, Nuance unleashed a wicked 26 4/5 final-quarter to track down the leader and win by a head. Storybook Love was third, while Upto Laura Hanover and Sparks completed the top five.

Nuance entered Friday's race off her first win of the season on September 6 in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes consolation. The daughter of Greenshoe has been providing consistent efforts, finishing first or second in now six straight starts. Friday's win was her fourth career and pushes her earnings over C$200,000 for owners Courant Inc. A $2 win ticket on Nuance paid $9.60.

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Kngtstlkrs Games and driver Louis-Philippe Roy pulled off a 57-1 stunner in an action-packed second elimination.

A quartet of fillies took turns on the lead until Kngtstlkrs Games reached up in the final strides for the eye-catching 1:51 2/5 victory. Cher Hill was the fourth leader in the opening five-eighths of the mile, touching down on the front-end shortly after a 55 4/5 half. 2-5 favorite Busy Miss Lissy S was first-over around the far turn, edging to Cher Hill's wheel at three-quarters in 1:23 2/5. Kngtstlkrs Games was third-over turning for home.

Cher Hill dug in gamely to fight off Busy Miss Lissy S, who appeared to be the main threat. However, Kngtstlkrs Games kept on powering on the outside to make it three-across coming into deep stretch and did get up in the final stride for the career-best victory. Busy Miss Lissy S was third, while Sharp Seven and Lainey W were the final fillies to advance to the final.

A homebred for Knightstalker Stable, Kngtstlkrs Games entered off a non-winners of three victory on September 7 at Mohawk, her third win in six starts. The Peter Shody trainee had tried the Kentucky Sires Stakes throughout the month of August. Kngtstlkrs Games is a daughter of Calgary Games. She now has five wins and C$118,479 in career earnings. A $2 win ticket returned $116.70.

Elimination winners secured a post position anywhere from two through six for the C$400,000 Elegantimage final. The post draw for the Grade 1 event was conducted Friday night and is as follows:

1 - Leading Lady
​2 - Sparks
​3 - Sharp Seven
​4 - Lainey W
​5 - Kngtstlkrs Games
​6 - Nuance
​7 - Storybook Love
​8 - Cher Hill
​9 - Upto Laura Hanover
​10 - Busy Miss Lissy S
​AE - Shimmering Hanover

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--