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Nat Varty trainees deliver top efforts in Gold Series Elimninations at Flamboro Flamboro Downs fans sent a pair of Nat Varty trainees off as the heavy favourites in Gold Series Eliminations Saturday aftemoon and watched both three-year-old pacing fillies come through with impressive winning efforts. Reigning Gold Final champion Nortbemn Cameo extended ber winning streak to six witb a victory in the first elimination. The Camluck filly and Milton driver Chris Cbristoforou wowed Flamboro fans witb a trip around the outside of the racetrack - complete with a three-wide move aI the halfway marker before taking control aI the three-quarter pole and marching home 10 a 1:55.4 triumph. In ber last Gold Elimination start, Nortbemn Cameo clocked a 1:51 mile, seting a new Ontario Sires Stakes record for tbrce-year-old pacing fillies on a seven- eigbtbs mile track and equaling the fastesî OSS mile ever recordcd. Enviro Stables Ltd. and MJGB Racing Stables of New York own the talented filly. wbo bas aînassed $123,729 in ber last six ooîings. Go Wilma Go and Twin B Rosebud- owned by McMaster Stables Inc. of Guelpb, David Serwatuk of Hamilton, Robin Watts of' Burlington and Stoney Creek's Cesar Kowalski - inisbed one lengthbcbeind the winner. Fourtb-place finisher Armbro Vanilla also advanced 10 tbe $100),0{X) Gold Final aI Flamiboro Downs Iis Saîurday. Varty was baek iin the winner's circle aller race nine, wben Counlryview Miss cruised bo a 1:56 score in the second elimination. Also in rein 10 Cbristoforou, Countryview Miss Hoof Beat I.' AN R SSYDR reached the front-end just past the quartcr-mile marker and neyer faced a serious challenge cn roule 10 a one- and-a-half lenglh victory over Run Around Jate and Nortbern Accord. Grand Romance finisbed f ourtb, advancing t0 the final. Londons Patrick Ryan owns Countryview Miss, who was making ber lirsl stan aller missing tbree weeks due to illness. Tbe win elevatcd the Camluck fillys eamings 10 $115,731I in just six staris tis sea- son. Like her siablemale. Countryview Miss bas also rewritîen islory .books Iis ycar. In the firsI Gold Eliminations aI Windsor Raceway May 20, she poslcd a 1:52.1 mile to establish a new track, Ontario Sires Stakes and Canadian record for tbree-year-old pacing l'illies over a 1-ive-eigbîbs mile oval. Varys dynamie duo will go bead-io lîead lor tbe tird ime tis year aI Flamboro Downs Saurday in the $lXI))Gold Final. Il boîb youngsters are at tbeir record-setting best. tbe irack and OSS mark of 1:54.1 -set in 1993 by Classic Wisb - could be in jeop- ardy. The Canadian Champion Tuesday July 24 2001-21 Th aade apo, Tedy uI 4 012 ,-Merchants sign former Mississauga netminder The Jr. A Merchants have acquired ex-Mississauga Chargers goaltender Trevor Battaglia. The I 9-year-old - who backstopped the Chargers te their besî finish in recent years last season - had an out- clause with is former team and will now join Milton for 2001/02 play. Missing much of last year following a nasty concussion, the 5'l0", 165 lbs. cager posted a 3.33 goals-against aver- age in 15 regular season games and helped keep things close againat the Merchants during the Western Conference semnifinals. Thomas tearing up tour Miltonian Jeff Thomas continued to sink is age class competition on the Kiwi GoîfScene Tour with a convinc- ing seven-stroke victory aI Victoria Park East July 1 6. The 17 year-old delîvered the best round of the day - kicking things off with consecutive birdies on the way 10 a one-under-par, 70-shot performance. TMis marked bis fifth toumament win and strengtbened bis hold on top spot on the season among 17 and 18 year- old maie golfers. He shares the overal points lead with 240. Thomas is also part of the Wilson Junior Tour and finisbed second in bis Sports shorts age division recently in Elmira. He competed on the Wilson tour at Trafalgar Golf and Country Club yes- terday and continues the Kiwi GolfScene Tour Sunday in Caledon. Midgets rated single A The midget Red Sox' overwhelming season success has - at Ieast for the time being - not affected their OBA rating. At the JuIy 16 Central Ontario Basebaîl Association (COBA) meeting, Milton maintained its single A classifi- cation for this summer's provincial championshîps. The team's 20-5 record - which includes many lopsided victories - could have pushed themn up to double A status, and might still if the Ontario Basebaîl Association overtumas COBA's ruling. OBA convenors make their final decision at the end of July. Staying single A should give the midgels a legitimate shot at an Ontario medal Labour Day weekend in Brantford. "That's great news," said manager Jeff Harper, about the niling. Burlington edges local bantams in tournament semis Payback was sweet but sbort-lived for Miltonis bantam girls basebal eam during lournament play Iis pasl weekend in Mississauga. Avenging a round robin loss to Burlington exactly one week ear- lier at home, the local ladies upslaged their regional rivaIs 11-7 Saturday. The viclory helped put tbem in the semnifinals- where unfortu- nately a slice of humble pie would be evenîually served up during a retumn engagement witb Burlington Sunday moming. Milton beld the upper-band for much of the final four encouniter. but coughed up a three-run lead down the sretch and were eclipsed 11 -10. Miscues equal heartbreak A couple of fielding errors proved costly aI crunch ime, as Burlington batters capilalized 10 even the count in the sixtb inning before pulling ahead in their last at-bat. Ashley Beehoo had lwo scoreless innings on the mound 10 start the seesaw battle while leading offensively wth three sngles was Ali Stoffels. Nicole Gooding cipped in a pair of its in the heartbreaking bass. Milton would salvage the weekend a few hours later witb a 7-1 consolation finals decision over Torontos Annelle. The lopsided affair was called after three-and-a-half inninga due 10 an aflemnoon thunderstorm. Stephanie May and Katie Wollaston spliî the pitching duties in the weaîher-shortened clash for ier lwo bragging rigbts. The local banlams - who haven'l enjoyed much good fortune in toumnament play following their gold-medal win earlier this month in Burlington - will compete in the Ontario Basebal Association championships Auguat 17 10 19 in North York. In the know sprorts fansge their news every Tuesday and FrÎday in The Champion. 4