FRASERVILLE, ON — The cream of Ontario’s two-year-old trotting colt crop will return to Kawartha Downs on Tuesday, July 22 to battle in their first $120,000 Gold Final and $20,000 Gold Consolation.

Mike Saftic will steer Hitithard in the Consolation and Winning Mister in the Final, and the veteran reinsman likes his chances in both races.

“Hitithard had the eight hole up there in his elimination, that was a tough assignment,” says the Campbellville resident. “But he came home pretty strong. I was happy with the way he went.”

Trained by John Ciarpelli for owner Anthony Macri of Waterdown, Hitithard finished fourth in the elimination round, seven and three-quarter lengths behind winner Mopey Corey. The Mr Lavec son will start from Post 2 in the $20,000 Consolation, and Saftic thinks the advantageous post will result in a stronger finish for the young trotter.

While Saftic had qualified Hitithard twice before last week’s elimination, Winning Mister was a first time mount for the veteran reinsman. The Angus Hall son eased off the starting gate from Post 5 and then powered up the outside before making an unfortunate break in the lane which left him eight lengths behind winner Senator Hall.

In spite of the break, Saftic was impressed with the colt and expects trainer Richard Gillock will be making a few adjustments in preparation for the Gold Final.

“He seems like a very fast horse. Even with the break he was an impressive second-place finisher,” notes Saftic. “I think being green had something to do with it [the break], but I don’t think he was really grabbing hold of the track. I kind of lost him getting to the half, and then I lost him in the lane.”

Winning Mister will return to Post 5 for the final, with elimination winners Mopey Corey, Senator Hall and Magic Carpet Ride starting to his left at Posts 1, 2 and 4. With the knowledge he gained about the young trotter in the elimination round, Saftic thinks he will be able to put the colt’s versatility to better use on Tuesday.

“He shows winning in 1:58 on the front, and he showed he can come from behind when I drove him, so I think he’s versatile,” explains the driver. “I think driving him once before is certainly going to help me. I had him nice and quiet behind the gate, maybe too quiet, then when I asked him he went hard. So I’ll be looking for a happy medium for the Final, not too fast, not too slow.

“The first thing will be to get him out of there trotting, and then take it from there,” Saftic adds.

In preparation for his Ontario Sires Stakes debut, Winning Mister qualified twice at The Meadows, touring that five-eighths mile oval in 2:07.2 to finish second on June 4 and posting a 2:04 victory on June 14. An early break knocked the youngster out of contention in a division of the Harriman Cup at The Meadowlands on June 26, but he rebounded with a flawless effort to win his W. N. Reynolds Memorial split at Pocono Downs on July 5 in a smart 1:58.

Bred and owned by Robert Key of Leechburg, PA, Winning Mister has accumulated $20,000 in his three starts and will be gunning for a share of the $120,000 Gold Final purse in the fifth race on Tuesday.

Kawartha Downs sends its first race behind the gate at 4:15 pm, with the freshman trotting colts stepping up to the plate for their Gold Consolation in Race 2 and their Gold Final in Race 5.

For complete entries please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/ekdftu.html.