CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Lemon Drop made a successful jump up from the Grassroots with a Gold Elimination victory at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening, and in the process the two-year-old trotting colt made a lot of people very happy.
Purchased as part of the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association’s (SBOA) inaugural Mentoring program, Lemon Drop is owned by nine newcomers to Standardbred ownership and their mentor Scott Arsenault of Waterdown. Thursday’s win was the Ten To Win Stable’s second trip to the winner’s circle, coming on the heels of the Mr Lavec son’s victory in the Grassroots season opener at Hanover Raceway on July 5.
For his Gold Series debut, Lemon Drop got the services of Mohawk Racetrack’s top reinsman Mark MacDonald. Starting from Post 9, MacDonald floated the gelding off the starting gate and was sitting fourth on the outside when The Mad Duke hit the opening quarter in :29.2. Heading for the :59.4 half, MacDonald and Lemon Drop found room on the rail behind pacesetter Super Neil and sat contentedly as that colt took the field to the 1:30.2 three-quarters.
Turning for home Lemon Drop was four lengths behind the leader in third, but when MacDonald shifted him into gear the young trotter sprinted down the stretch to a one and one-quarter length victory in 1:59.4, the fastest mile of four Gold Eliminations on Mohawk’s Thursday evening program.
Political Victory crossed the finish line second, but was moved back to fourth for making a late break, elevating Super Neil and Passito into the second and third-place positions. Passito got lucky a second time when his name was drawn out of the hat as one of two third-place finishers to advance to next week’s $130,000 Gold Final.
Scott McEneny of Waterdown trains Lemon Drop for the Ten To Win Stable, who acquired the brother to $299,232 winner Mill Work and $165,132 winner Mr Lemon for $30,000 from last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale.
The success of the Mentoring program has prompted the SBOA to expand its scope to four ownership groups for the 2006 yearling sale season. More information about the Mentoring program is available on the SBOA Website at www.sboa.info/mentoring.html.
Smarty Jims took the first step toward defending his Gold Final title with an impressive 2:00.1 victory in the last $27,327 elimination. The Striking Sahbra son and driver Trevor Ritchie sat on the outside from the halfway marker to the three-quarter pole before taking command of the race and pulling away to a two length victory over Evidence As and Snazzy Hot Rod.
Christopher Beaver trains Smarty Jims for breeder Lynne Foley of Salvisa, KY, Mimi Lenenberg of Pittsburg, PA and Clare Semer of S. Pal Beach, FL. The black colt captured both his elimination and the final of the Gold Series season opener at Kawartha Downs and has now banked $91,826 through three starts.
John Bax trainee Good Knight and driver Keith Oliver scored an upset in the second elimination, posting a three-quarter length victory over Chuckie Lang and favourite Meadowview Matty. The full brother to $925,921 winner Duke Of York closed from fifth at the top of the stretch to claim the 2:01 victory.
Breeder Al Libfeld of Pickering and Robert Kauffman of Wellingon, Fl share ownership on the blue blooded son of Balanced Image and $670,374 winner Armbro Monarch, who has produced four foals with earnings over $100,000. The colt made his debut at Kawartha Downs, but made a pair of miscues that left him well back of the winner in seventh.
The other Gold Elimination went to Paula Wellwood trainee Charlie Lavec, who hit the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Dream On Ernie and Libra Vita in 2:00.3. Cambridge resident Wellwood shares ownership on Charlie Lavec with driver Paul MacDonell of Guelph and Carwin Stables of Orono.
The Mr Lavec son was making his first start off a pair of qualifiers at Mohawk on June 30 and July 7.
The top two colts from each elimination, plus third-place finishers Passito and Libra Vita, will make their way back to Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday, July 20 for their second $130,000 Gold Final. Smarty Jims will defend his title from Post 9 while the remainder of the field lines up as follows:
Post 1 Passito
Post 2 Super Neil
Post 3 Chuckie Lang
Post 4 Lemon Drop
Post 5 Good Knight
Post 6 Dream On Ernie
Post 7 Evidence As
Post 8 Charlie Lavec
Post 9 Smarty Jims
Post 10 Libra Vita
AE1 Meadowview Matty
AE2 Snazzy Hot Rod
AE3 Political Victory
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rmohsth.html