CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Heading in to Sunday’s Gold Eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack, trainer John Bax said Define The World had been pretty full of himself in recent weeks, and the three-year-old trotter proved that his self confidence was not misplaced with an impressive victory in the first $40,000 skirmish.

With regular reinsman Paul MacDonell at the helm, Define The World eased away from Post 3 and landed third on the rail as Elegant Hall and Nureyev battled to a :27.3 opening quarter. The Guelph resident tipped Define The World to the outside heading for the :57.1 half and had the gelding on top by two and a half lengths by the time they reached the 1:27 three-quarters.

All alone on the front end, Define The World sprinted down the stretch to hit the wire in 1:54.3, four and a half lengths up on Elegant Hall and five and a half in front of Nureyev. Mccarron and Southwind Rew also advanced to next weekend’s Gold Final with their fourth and fifth-place finishes, eight lengths back of the leader.

Sunday’s outing was Define The World’s first start since the Aug. 30 Simcoe Stakes, but the break in action clearly did not take anything away from the Duke Of York son. The defending Gold Final champion heads into next Sunday’s $120,000 battle on a three race win streak and has finished no worse than second since the end of June.

Peterborough resident Bax trains the talented youngster for owner and breeder Al Libfeld of Pickering, who now has a tick in the pro column for his deliberations around supplementing the gelding to the Oct. 4 Kentucky Futurity. In 17 starts this season Define The World has posted 10 wins and five seconds for earnings of $404,751.

In the second elimination Striking Rich emerged triumphant from a three horse charge to the wire, capturing his first lifetime victory by a head in 1:56.2.

With trotting master Trevor Ritchie of Acton in the race bike, Striking Rich got away second last in the six horse field and was 10 lengths off the pace when fan favourite Hot And Coldplay reached the :28.1 quarter. The gelding was still 10 lengths back at the :57.2 half, but when Superfast Stuart went up the outside in front of them, Ritchie sent Striking Rich along for the ride and they had closed the gap to five lengths by the 1:27 three-quarters.

Turning for home pacesetter Hot And Coldplay was under heavy pressure from last season’s superstar Windsong Espoir, who was making his first start in the Gold Series since June 28, and Striking Rich was sitting three lengths back in fourth. However, when Ritchie shifted Striking Rich into high gear the gelding responded with a smart finishing kick that propelled him down the stretch and into the winner’s circle.

Windsong Espoir finished a head back in second and Hot And Coldplay was only one-quarter length to the rear in third. Mc Kelvie and Superfast Stuart rounded out the top five.

Trained by Michael Guitard of Campbellville, Striking Rich now boasts a record of one win, one second and three thirds in 13 lifetime starts, for earnings of $32,820. Haryott Stables Inc. of Etobicoke owns the son of Striking Sahbra whose siblings include the $914,285 winner Monte Hall.

A $30,000 purchase at the 2006 Forest City Yearling Sale, Striking Rich was unraced at two and made his debut at Mohawk in mid-May. In two Gold Series appearances prior to Sunday, the gelding’s best result came in the June event at Georgian Downs where he finished fifth in his elimination and third in the $20,000 Gold Consolation.

Striking Rich will make his Gold Final debut at the Campbellville oval next Sunday, lining up at Post 4, while Define The World is handicapped by Post 9. The complete field for the $120,000 Gold Final is as follows:

Post 1 — Hot And Coldplay

Post 2 — Elegant Hall

Post 3 — Mccarron

Post 4 — Striking Rich

Post 5 — Nureyev

Post 6 — Windsong Espoir

Post 7 — Superfast Stuart

Post 8 — Mc Kelvie

Post 9 — Define The World

Post 10 — Southwind Rew

For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rmohssu.html.