DUNDAS, ON — Two-year-old pacing colt Groovie Day captured his fourth straight victory with an impressive 1:56.4 effort at Flamboro Downs on Sunday evening.
Starting from Post 7, Groovie Day and regular driver Mike Saftic were well off the pace through the early stages of the race as Sauble Jackson led the field through fractions of :27.3 and :57.4. En route to the 1:27.4 three-quarters, Saftic sent Groovie Day up the outside and the Gothic Dream son kept the pressure on Sauble Jackson around the final turn before pulling away in the stretch to the one and a half length victory.
Sauble Jackson stayed game for second and Our Lucky Killean paced home eight lengths to the rear to earn the third-place finisher’s share of the $32,259 purse.
The win was Groovie Day’s first in Gold Elimination action, but the Bill Budd trainee is no stranger to the Ontario Sires Stakes winner’s circle, capturing the season opening Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway on July 3. Since then the colt’s only misstep came in the July 10 Gold Eliminations where he made a break and failed to qualify for the final. He rebounded to win a two-year-old conditioned race on July 17 and swept his elimination and the final of Elmira Raceway’s Battle of Waterloo on July 25 and Aug. 4.
Through seven starts Groovie Day, a $27,000 US purchase by C And I Siegel Racing Stable Ltd. of Brooklyn, NY, boasts a record of five wins and one third for earnings of $207,130.
Reigning Gold Final champion Putasmileon also posted a victory in his elimination, hitting the wire two lengths ahead of Front Row and six up on Cobbler Hanover in 1:58. In rein to Randy Waples, the Grinfromeartoear colt stalked the pace and then burst past the duelling front runners in the stretch to score the solid victory.
Trained by Bill Robinson for Fred Monteleone Stable LLC of Pompano Beach, FL, $40,000 US yearling Putasmileon has amassed four wins and one third in five starts this season for earnings of $112,418. Robinson also trains Front Row, who will join his stablemate in next Sunday’s $130,000 Gold Final.
Robinson trainees also took the top two placings in the first elimination when Grand Hall was placed back from second to sixth for causing interference. That allowed Sabayon Hanover to advance to the Final with stablemate Cozy Xample, who had to overcome early interference to score the 1:59.2 victory. McGrin moved up from fourth to third.
Robert Hamather of Exeter bred and owns Camluck son Cozy Xample, who controlled the race from the halfway marker forward.
The final elimination went to the consistent Daylon Boy, who stopped the clock at 1:58. The Dexter Nukes son and regular reinsman Clayton Masse allowed favourite Fantasy Island to set the pace and then stepped off a smart last quarter to record the two and one-quarter length win. Letsmoveon landed in third when Dreamfair Legend was placed from third to eighths for causing interference while he was off stride.
Trainer Mario Macri of Oakville shares ownership on Daylon Boy with Eric Udrzal of Mississauga and Carmine Cesta of Toronto. Through seven starts the trio have earned $76,541 with their $5,700 yearling.
The top two finishers from each elimination will return to Flamboro Downs on Sunday, Aug. 17 for their third $130,000 Gold Final, part of the always exciting Confederation Cup program.