INNISFIL, ON — Sophomore pacing colt Sergei Seelster moved one step closer to defending his Gold Final title with an impressive come from behind victory in Gold Elimination action at Georgian Downs on Saturday evening.

In rein to Brad Forward, the Rustler Hanover son eased off the starting gate from Post 4 and was sitting sixth on the rail when pacesetter Cuban Seelster hit the quarter pole in a sharp :26.4. The field remained static through the second quarter — with Cuban Seelster ringing up a :53.3 half — and then the jockeying for position got under way.

Shipps Camotion took control of the front end heading to the 1:22 three-quarters, and Forward sent Sergei Seelster up the outside behind Raw Energy. Sweeping around the final turn the horses on the outside made steady progress toward the leaders, and when the colts straightened out for home Sergei Seelster was sitting three and a half lengths back in fourth.

Down the stretch Forward hit the accelerator and Sergei Seelster pulled away to his third straight victory in a personal best 1:52.2. Pray For Luck and Great Integrity closed hard from the back of the pack to hit the wire one length behind the fan favourites and earn a spot in next Saturday’s $130,000 Gold Final.

Gary Smith of Burlington and Lloyd Nicholson of Campbellville share ownership on Sergei Seelster, who now boasts a record of four wins, one second and one third in nine starts this season. The elimination win bumped the Bill Elliott trainee’s season earnings to just over $150,000, and he will be looking to edge closer to $200,000 from Post 3 in next weekend’s Gold Final.

The award for the fastest victory of the evening went to Wholly Louy, who surprised Georgian Downs fans with a gate-to-wire 1:51.4 triumph, just one-fifth of a second off the track record for three-year-old pacing colts set by Armbro Balmoral in 2004.

Forward and Elliott also teamed up to land Wholly Louy in the winner’s circle, his seventh appearance this season. Racing almost exclusively on half-mile tracks, the Camluck colt has amassed a record of seven wins and one second in 12 starts this season, including a 1:54 triumph in the Grassroots season opener at Western Fair Raceway on June 18.

Robert Hamather of Exeter bred and owns Wholly Louy, who will attempt to add a Gold Final trophy to his collection from Post 7 in the July 14 Final. Joining Wholly Louy from the second elimination are runner-ups Twin B Survivor and Bigtime Ball.

The other elimination also featured an upset as Along Came Polly and driver Jason Brewer took full advantage of Post 1 and cruised along the front end to a 1:52 triumph over CMR Matt Three and Deuces And Jacks.

The win was the second straight for Along Came Polly, who finished fourth behind Deuces And Jacks in the first Gold Elimination of the season. Through 10 sophomore outings the Camluck colt now has four wins and one third for earnings of $46,562. Rodney Duford trains the colt, who will start from Post 4 next week, for breeder Larry Pollard of Harrow.

The top three finishers from Saturday’s eliminations will return to Georgian Downs on July 14 for their second shot at a $130,000 Gold Final. The complete field for the Final is as follows:

Post 1 Great Integrity

Post 2 Bigtime Ball

Post 3 Sergei Seelster

Post 4 Along Came Polly

Post 5 Pray For Luck

Post 6 CMR Matt Three

Post 7 Wholly Louy

Post 8 Twin B Survivor

Post 9 Deuces And Jacks

Also Eligible 1 Daddy Mac

Also Eligible 2 Basso Hanover

Also Eligible 3 Cuban Seelster

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rgeodfsa.html