CAMPBELLVILLE, ON, 2004 — Fans got an expected result and an enormous upset in a pair of $130,000 Gold Finals at Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday evening.
In the two-year-old pacing colt event favourites Isle Of Patmos and Astronomical duked it out on the front early and had nothing in reserve for the stretch drive, leaving the door wide open for most of the field to barge through. Seeing the opportunity opening up in front of him, Jody Jamieson put Lincoln Parke into overdrive around the last turn and the colt pulled away to a 1:52.2 victory.
“I was happy seeing them battle up front,” said Jamieson after the race. “It certainly helped out everyone coming from behind.”
Leaving from Post 8, Jamieson and Lincoln Parke sat seventh through the first half of the mile as the favourites hurtled to a :25.4 opening quarter and :55.2 half. Heading for the 1:23.3 three-quarters, Jamieson sent the colt up the outside behind Make My Day and then powered to the lead, pulling away from the field by two lengths before they straightened out for home, and adding another quarter length to the margin by the wire. Longshot Tobruk finished second and Zooka picked up the third-place finisher’s share.
Carl Jamieson of Princeton trains Lincoln Parke for Ted Smith of Milton, Karl Ungerman of Toronto, Arthur Slack of Cumbria, ENG and George Harrison of Lancashire, GB. Through 10 starts the Astreos son boasts a record of four wins and one third for earnings of $134,383.
“He got a little sore in the middle of the summer, but that guy Carl Jamieson who trains him, has done a great job,” said Jody Jamieson, tongue in cheek. “He changed some rigging on him and he’s just a treat to drive.”
The third longest shot on the board, Lincoln Parke returned $85.70 for a win wager, $23.40 on a place ticket and $11.70 on a show voucher. Second-longest shot Tobruk paid $29.90 to place and $16.40 to show and Zooka’s fans earned $6.00 on a show ticket. Coupling the longshots on the exactor earned fans $1,552.00, throwing Zooka in to complete a triactor play netted $34,037.40 and giving the superfecta a whirl with numbers, 8, 10, 4 and any other horse in the field earned you $20,695.10.
In the three-year-old Gold Final, elimination winner Geartogear scored another effortless victory for Perfect World Enterprises of Old Westbury, NY and trainer Nat Varty.
North America’s leading driver Ron Pierce settled the Grinfromeartoear son in third through the early going, waiting until past the halfway marker to make a move to the outside that soon saw Geartogear assume control of the race. By the time the colts turned for home Geartogear was three-quarters of a lengths on top and at the wire the pacer had things well in hand, cruising to a one and three-quarter length victory in 1:50.1.
“He really didn’t seem like he was working that much out there. He seemed like he was liking his job,” said Pierce from the winner’s circle. “I tipped him out going past the half and sat him on the outside around the last turn and called on him in the lane.
“I could have tipped him as we straightened out down the backside, and blew him to the top and ran off, but he’s got the Breeders Crown (eliminations) coming up next week and it would be nice to have a fresh horse.”
Mata Harry and D Essential completed the top three in the sophomore colt event. Geartogear’s victory returned $2.90, $2.60 and $2.10 to fans, Mata Harry’s runner-up effort was worth $5.90 and $4.70 and D Essential paid $7.20 to show. The exactor and triactor returned $14.80 and $83.50.
The two-year-old pacing colts complete their Gold Series schedule at Rideau Carleton Raceway Oct. 29 and Nov. 4, while the three-year-old’s wrap things up Oct. 30 and Nov. 5 at Windsor Raceway.