DUNDAS, ON — Ontario’s talented three-year-old trotting colts return to Gold Series action this Saturday afternoon at Flamboro Downs, minus Hambletonian winner Amigo Hall who is enjoying a brief vacation to bask in the glow of his $1 million victory.
The colt’s stablemate Hawaiian Clipper will carry the Blair Burgess stable’s blue and green colours from Post 6 in the first of two $52,117 eliminations. Owners Robert Burgess of Campbellville, Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton and Marsha Cohen of Asbury, NJ are hoping that some of the Hambletonian magic will rub off on the Balanced Image son and see him land in the Ontario Sires Stakes winner’s circle for the first time this season. Among the colts Hawaiian Clipper faces in the second race is Semi Spot, who was an elimination winner in the Windsor Gold Series on June 29 and starts from Post 2 Saturday.
“He’s had a couple off rough trips, but he’s a nice colt,” says owner Walter Bauer of Semi Spot. “He looks like probably one of the nicest colts I’ve had for a while.”
Unlike many of his peers, Semi Spot was not eligible to the Canadian Breeders Championship at Woodbine Racetrack in July so trainer Kirby MacDonald filled the gap in the colt’s schedule with starts in the Elimination and Final of the Dream Of Glory Stake at Hanover Raceway. Hampered by Post 5 in the elimination and 6 in the Final, Semi Spot logged a pair of third-place finishes, pushing his lifetime earnings within $2,000 of $100,000.
“We had a couple of brothers and sisters to this fellow that we didn’t make it this far with, so consequently we didn’t nominate him to much,” explains Brantford resident Bauer. “We’ve waited a long time for this fellow.”
Bauer and partners Kathlyn MacDonald of Paris and Gary Silliphant of Simcoe bred and own Semi Spot, who currently sits second in the Super Final point race with 88 points earned through one win, one second, one fourth and one fifth place finish in Gold Series action. Another solid effort in Saturday’s elimination would almost certainly secure the King Conch son a spot in the $300,000 season finale.
Bauer, who rarely misses one of Semi Spot’s races, will be on hand Saturday to cheer the colt home in the second race. In addition to Hawaiian Clipper he will face the fast, but inconsistent, Captain Brady from Post 3. The other division is headlined by division leader, and reigning Gold Final champion, JM Vangogh from Post 4 and last year’s top Ontario Sires Stakes money earner Meadowview Sunny from Post 1.
Flamboro Downs sends its first race onto the parade ground at 2:45 pm Saturday and features the talented three-year-old trotting colts in Races 2 and 8. The top four finishers from each elimination will return to the half-mile oval on Aug. 17 to compete in their third $130,000 Gold Final, part of the highly anticipated Confederation Cup program.