LONDON, OCT. 30, 2001 — London’s Western Fair Raceway brings its 2001 Ontario Sires Stakes racing season to a close with a rich night of racing this Friday, Nov. 2. Starting at 7:30 pm the half-mile oval will showcase two OSS Gold Series Finals worth $100,000 each.
The first battle for Gold Series glory will be the two-year-old trotting colts in Race 4. Slated to start from Post Position 3 on Friday night is Super Pleasure son Gothic and trainer Warren McIntyre of Dundas is hoping that his colt will be in top form for the tough provincial showdown.
“He is a really nice colt and he always tries,” says McIntyre. “He has an amazing amount of talent and I expect good things from him this Friday.”
Gothic began his OSS career by setting two track records in his first two races, and currently sits in tenth spot on the Gold Series division leader board for two-year-old trotting colts.
“He has got track records against aged horses,” McIntyre states. “His first time out he got the track record at Sarnia, and then he went and got the track record at Kawartha in his second race.”
McIntyre adds, “He developed a spur in his hock in mid-season and that gave him some trouble with the turns at that point, but we’re managing it well now. That first turn in London is the worst turn you can get, but Tommy (Strauss) knows how to get him around fine.”
Experience, however, has made McIntyre guardedly optimistic. “He should be in good shape for Friday, but a bit of good luck always comes in handy when racing two-year-olds.”
If luck is in the draw then Oven Mitt should have plenty of it when she and seven other two-year-old pacing fillies go head-to-head in the second $100,000 Gold Final at Western Fair on Friday night.
Scheduled as Race 8 on the evening card, the Gold Final will have the Albert Albert sired Oven Mitt leaving the wings from Post 1.
“Thank-goodness for the inside,” says Oven Mitt’s trainer Robert Young of Guelph. “She has been really unlucky with the draws and she has had some outside posts. With the way this field has drawn for Friday everyone is going to be worrying about speed getting away, and my filly is set up nicely to get off the gate.”
Young, who co-owns the filly with Paul Gazzola of Guelph and Brian Barton of Carlisle, is pleased with his rookie’s condition coming into the Final.
“She is a big, strong filly and she is in good shape,” he says. “She is sound, she hasn’t been sick and her blood is good. I’ve given her two days after every race to recover so she will have energy to work.”
Young thinks that Oven Mitt, currently ranked fourth in the Super Final point standings, is going to need as much energy she can muster to battle the gritty competitors in Friday’s $100,000 race.
“Precious Delight is a talented pacer and I am glad that she has drawn the two-hole. We aren’t going to have to worry about speed coming from the outside. I expect that Angel In Disguise is going to get away from Post 8 in third or fourth spot,” Young speculates.
“Lady Graceful is also a really good filly, but she’s got the seven-hole and at London that is a dead hole. I think that the top two fillies in the division are already decided and they will finish out in front. In this Final it is just going to be a matter of who grabs third,” he adds.
Racing gets under way at 7:30 pm on Friday night at Western Fair Raceway and London fans will get their last glimpse at the two-year-old trotting colts and pacing fillies in Races 4 and 8. Friday’s events are the last opportunity for the freshmen to earn points toward a berth in their $250,000 Super Finals at Mohawk Racetrack on Nov. 10 so the competition will be fierce.