DUNDAS, ON — Although Mario Macri was disappointed to see Daylon Boy draw Post 8 for Sunday’s Gold Final at Flamboro Downs, nothing could put a damper on the Oakville resident’s excitement about the pacer’s three-year-old season.
“He’s probably two to three times the horse he was last year,” Macri says of the colt, who posted three wins, one second and three thirds in 13 starts for earnings of $120,678 last season. “His blood was always bad last year and he got tired in the end. I think he just needed those two months off.”
Proving his trainer correct, Daylon Boy delivered an impressive 1:54.3 victory in last weekend’s Gold Elimination at the Dundas oval and Macri expects the colt to be even sharper this week.
“He hadn’t raced in 11 days before his last start,” explains the trainer. “He wasn’t ready to go that fast last week, but he did it, and Luc (Ouellette) said he should be ready to pace in 1:53 this week.”
Performing beyond expectations is nothing new for the Dexter Nukes son, who brought Macri and partners Eric Udrzal of Mississauga and Carmine Cesta of Toronto their first taste of Ontario Sires Stakes success last season.
“We’ve been buying yearlings, but they just haven’t been making it. It’s been a long time coming,” says Macri. “He is really something and I’ll tell you, he’s changed my life around. I’ve had a ton of energy since he started racing.”
And while Macri is doubtful the colt can overcome the outside post in Sunday’s $130,000 Final, a top performance will guarantee Daylon Boy a trip to Windsor Raceway for the May 23 Provincial Cup and keep the partners’ dream of starting in the Burlington Stakes and $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup alive.
“He’s got a big six weeks ahead of him,” says Macri. “I don’t know if he’ll race in all of them, but he’s got a big heart and that’s what you need.”
Ouellette will be back in the race bike on Sunday and the veteran reinsman will be looking to craft a trip around the half-mile oval behind the other three elimination winners. Galantine Hanover and Randy Waples will start from Post 3, Cozy Xample and Chris Christoforou have drawn Post 5 and Roger Mayotte will pilot Swingman from Post 6.
The sophomore pacing colts are featured in Race 9 on Flamboro Downs’ Sunday evening program, which gets under way at 6:20 pm.