GLOUCESTER, ON — Friday night’s Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway was written and directed by Silver D Moon and the three-year-old pacing colt was the only one on camera for the entire 1:53.4 mile.
Leaving from Post 2 the Run The Table colt and driver Mario Baillargeon went straight to the front and never looked back as they led the field through fractions of :27, :56.4 and 1:25.4 en route to a one length victory over Camystic and Firstline Luck.
“I felt confident right from the outset, and especially when Pacific Titan made a break leaving the gate,” said Mario Baillargeon after the race. “I was a bit concerned because this was the first time he had to cut out the mile and I didn’t know how he would respond.
“This is the biggest win of his life but it won’t be his last. I have high expectations and feel this horse will surpass a half million (dollars) this season alone,” added the driver, who calls Silver D Moon the best gaited horse he has ever driven.
Owned by the Estate of Lonnie R. Beck of Stockton, CA, Silver D Moon moved closer to the half million dollar mark with the win, which pushed his 2002 earnings to $111,806. Benoit Baillargeon trains the talented young pacer for his California connections and added that one of the keys to reaching the lofty earnings plateau envisioned by his brother will be keeping Silver D Moon happy throughout the Ontario Sires Stakes season.
“I did not work him as hard this week as I had for last week’s eliminations,” said the trainer. “This colt races best if he’s kept happy so I gave him a lot of paddock time this week.”
Silver D Moon also posted a win in his elimination last Friday, stopping the clock in 1:52.4, just three-fifths of a second off the track record for three-year-old pacing colts. In spite of his elimination win and the absence of the other elimination winner Dreamfair Vogel, fans made Silver D Moon their second choice in Friday’s $130,000 Final behind Pacific Titan. As a result the gelding returned $5.40 for the win, $3.50 to place and $3.20 to show.
The three-year-old pacing colts are back in Gold Series action on June 30 at Flamboro Downs, giving the top guns an opportunity to face off against their American-bred peers in the Burlington Stakes and Pepsi North America Cup at Woodbine Racetrack in June.
OSS excitement returns to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Friday, July 19 when the two-year-old pacing fillies will appear in the second Gold Series event of their careers.