DUNDAS, ON — Ontario’s three-year-old trotting colts will hit the midpoint in their Gold Series campaign at Flamboro Downs on Friday evening, and so far, Snazzy Hot Rod has had the kind of season trainer’s have nightmares about.

After an encouraging pair of seconds in his first two starts, Snazzy Hot Rod made an unfortunate break in the season opening Gold Final, and one week later injured his ankle at trainer Tom Durand’s Puslinch farm. On the advice of his veterinarian, Durand opted to treat the ankle injury cautiously and Snazzy Hot Rod did not return to the races until mid-July.

“It was a Monday morning and we concluded, since he hadn’t done any strenuous work, he must have twisted the ankle in the paddock Sunday or kicked the wall in his stall. Something happened Sunday,” recalls Durand. “We took the cautious route, on the advice of the vet, to give him a few weeks off.

“As it turned out it was just a sprained ankle, but we lost six weeks,” continues the trainer. “He’s a big horse, and when you shut big horses down for a while, they don’t start up real fast.”

Once Snazzy Hot Rod had regained his fitness level, Durand entered him in a July 13 qualifier, which he won by 11 lengths in 2:01.1, and then entered him to race at Mohawk Racetrack on July 26. Unfortunately Snazzy Hot Rod’s enthusiasm about resuming his racing career caused him to be a little over eager behind the gate and he made a miscue that sent him back to the qualifying ranks for a second time.

In a July 30 qualifier, the son of Mr Lavec and Smilin Matty delivered a flawless 1:57.3 victory by six and a half lengths, and he followed it up with a second-place finish in an Aug. 3 overnight, beaten by just half a length in a 1:56.2 mile.

“Oh, just frustration,” says Durand of the colt’s trials. “He was good in the (July 30) qualifier, so I said, �Quick, get him back in the box before he gets sharp again,’ and he raced good.”

Durand shares ownership on Snazzy Hot Rod with breeders Devos Stables and Clarence Devos of Langton, and the partners are hoping the leggy youngster eventually delivers the kind of performances that have distinguished his half-sister, $970,056 winner Snazzy Millie.

“He’s a really nice horse, he’s got a big stride, he’s easy going, he tries hard. He’s got a lot of good qualities, and he’s got a sister that’s made almost a million dollars,” says Durand. “He’s a horse that could go either way, be really good, or just flounder along. We’ll find out in the next few months.”

Snazzy Hot Rod will make his second attempt at distinguishing himself in the Ontario Sires Stakes program from Post 2 in the fourth race at Flamboro Downs on Friday, the second of two $54,000 Gold Eliminations. Among the colts he and Durand will face are recent Canadian Breeders Championship winner Guilford from Post 4 and Ontario Sires Stakes record holder San Pail from Post 7.

The first elimination, Race 2 on the 6 pm program, features last year’s division champion Beer Budget from Post 1, and Hambletonian starter Claudius Augustus from Post 3.

The top four finishers from each elimination will return to Flamboro Downs on Sunday, Aug. 19 for their third Gold Final, part of the track’s signature Confederation Cup program.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/eflmdfr.html