FRASERVILLE, ON — Bigtime Ball made his local fans proud on Tuesday night, capturing his Gold Elimination in a Kawartha Downs track record 1:50.4.

Starting from the trailing Post 9, driver Paul MacDonell eased Bigtime Ball away from the starting gate and was sitting seventh when Windsun Ben hit the opening quarter in :27.2. As Sergei Seelster took over the lead heading for the :55.2 half, MacDonell tipped the fan favourite to the outside and by the time Deuces And Jacks reached the 1:22.2 three-quarters, Bigtime Ball was looking him in the eye.

Turning for home Bigtime Ball and MacDonell had a quarter length lead, which they stretched out to one and three-quarter lengths on their way to the 1:50.4 triumph. Sergei Seelster rallied in the lane to finish second and Deuces And Jacks was third.

Stripping almost one full second off the three-year-old pacing colt mark set by former Ontario Sires Stakes star Camystic in 2002, the mile matched the 1:50.4 personal best Bigtime Ball clocked winning his Aug. 5 Gold Elimination at Mohawk Racetrack.

Gordon Irwin of Cobourg bred, owns and trains the talented son of Presidential Ball and Keystone Trinidad, who now boasts a record of nine wins, three seconds and one third in 16 sophomore starts. The gelding will take a run at his tenth victory from Post 5 in next Tuesday’s $130,000 Gold Final.

Hoping to challenge Bigtime Ball in front of his hometown crowd will be a pair of first-time Gold Elimination winners, Semalu Express and Stars On The Water.

Semalu Express stepped up in the first $43,143 elimination to record a two length victory over In The Irons and P H Jackpot. The Rustler Hanover son and driver Gilles Dion worked their way up the outside through fractions of :27, :56.1 and 1:23.2, and when pacesetter and heavy favourite Domitian Hanover began to falter, Semalu Express laid down a :27.4 last quarter to claim the 1:51.4 victory.

Trained by Pierre Touchette for breeders Semalu Inc. and Zoom And Fish Stable Inc. of Laval, QC, Semalu Express is now undefeated through his last six starts. The talented young pacer has seven wins, one second and one third to his credit through 14 starts and also boasts a 1:50.4 personal best taken at Hippodrome de Montreal in early June.

Making just his fifth start this season, Stars On The Water stayed game to the wire in the second elimination to earn a neck victory in 1:52. The Astreos gelding and driver Mario Baillargeon held off fan favourite The Grin Man and Hypnotist to secure their second victory of the sophomore campaign and their first in Ontario Sires Stakes action.

Stars On The Water, trained by Milton resident Ben Wallace for his partner James Millier of Dorchester, qualified for the first time this year on Aug. 3; four days after his half-brother Somebeachsomewhere posted the first win of what would be a flawless six race season capped by a victory in the $1 million Metro Pace.

While a long way from matching his younger sibling’s $800,000 plus bank roll, Tuesday’s victory did move Stars On The Water closer to repaying Wallace and Millier the $90,000 US they anted up to acquire the gelding at the 2005 Lexington Select Yearling Sale. Through seven starts last season and five this year, Stars On The Water has earned $63,142 for the partners.

Stars On The Water may have trouble adding to that total from the outside Post 8 in next Tuesday’s Gold Final, as will Semalu Express, who landed Post 7. The rest of the three-year-old pacing colt field will line up behind the Kawartha Downs starting gate as follows:

Post 1 Sergei Seelster

Post 2 Hynoptist

Post 3 Deuces And Jacks

Post 4 P H Jackpot

Post 5 Bigtime Ball

Post 6 The Grin Man

Post 7 Semalu Express

Post 8 Stars On The Water

Post 9 In the Irons

Also Eligible 1 Shipps Camotion

Also Eligible 2 Sky Tantrum

Also Eligible 3 Basso Hanover

For complete results please go to:

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