LONDON, OCT. 27, 2001 — The two-year-old trotting colts added some spice to an October Saturday night as they took to the track at London’s Western Fair Raceway for a pair of $44,534 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series Elimination races.
Races 5 and 9 on London’s busy Saturday evening program, the OSS Eliminations featured a total of 12 rookies battling for their share of the provincial prize money.
Getting the Gold event rolling with a wire-to-wire win in Race 5 was Lockkeeper, conditioned by veteran horseman Ron Waples for owners Royal Wire Products Inc. of North Royalton, OH.
Leaving from Post 1 the Mr Lavec colt easily held off the other five horses in the field to score the 2:02.4 victory and return $2.80 for the win, $3.20 to place and $2.60 to show. With his trip to the winner’s circle on London’s half-mile oval, Lockkeeper also deposited $22,267 of the OSS purse in his own bank account.
Earl Action finished Race 5 in second-place and Total Mayhem, with his trainer George Zirnis in the bike, took third-place.
Hall-of-famer Ron Waples was back in the Western Fair winner’s circle after the second elimination with longshot Amnesiac. Waples settled the Mr Lavec colt in fourth spot in the early going, then started to work his way forward, reaching the front around the final turn and sailing home to the 2:07 victory.
Jimmy Takter trains Amnesiac for Norman Smiley of Boca Raton, FL, Christina Takter of Allentown, NJ, Gerald Smiley of Cote-Saint-Luc, QC and Sampson Street Stables of Old Forge, PA. The colt’s upset paid a tidy $18.40, $3.30 and $2.70 to wagering supporters.
George Zirnis piloted Carrland Buddy into second-place with Priceless Gem rounding out the top three after recovering from an early break in stride.
The top four finishers from both Eliminations will return to Western Fair Raceway on Friday, Nov. 2 to battle for supremacy in their last $100,000 Gold Series Final. The colts will share star billing on Friday with the two-year-old pacing fillies, who are also vying for a Gold Series Final title.