CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Deuce Seelster may have been saddled with the outside Post 10 in Sunday’s $130,000 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack, but the two-year-old pacing colt did not let that minor obstacle stand in the way of his ultimate goal.

Firing off the starting gate, the Western Maverick son allowed Great Intentions a brief moment in the spotlight, but well before the colts reached the halfway marker Deuce Seelster had assumed command of the race. Maintaining a comfortable lead through fractions of :55.3 and 1:24.3, when driver Paul MacDonell hit the accelerator in the stretch, Deuce Seelster powered away from his rivals to a four and one-quarter length victory in 1:52.2.

Fun Of The Game and Mike Saftic did all the work on the outside to earn the runner-up’s share of the Ontario Sires Stakes purse and Keystone Horatio and Randy Waples circled three-wide from the back of the pack to land third-place honours.

The win was the third straight for Deuce Seelster, who is trained by Darren McCall for Katherine Bardis of Sacramento, CA. Bardis acquired the gifted youngster after he won two early season qualifiers in at Gaitway Farm in impressive fashion, signing a cheque for significantly more than the $16,000 he sold for at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale. After just three starts Deuce Seelster has already earned $89,385 for Bardis.

A stirring 1:53.4 come-from-behind victory in his elimination last week convinced Mohawk fans that Post 10 would not adversely impact Deuce Seelster, and he was sent off as the heavy favourite for the second straight start. Fans also accurately predicted the second and third-place finishers in the Gold Final.

Deuce Seelster will have his first opportunity to collect a second Gold Final title when the two-year-old pacing colts resume their Ontario Sires Stakes rivalry at Flamboro Downs on Aug. 12.

Mohawk Racetrack’s outstanding summer schedule of provincial stakes action continues Monday (July 23) evening with a $130,000 Gold Final for the two-year-old pacing fillies.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rmohssu.html#N8