GLOUCESTER, ON — After kicking off his sophomore season in impressive fashion, trotting colt I Wont Dance struggled through July and August, but on Thursday evening at Rideau Carleton Raceway the gelding announced his return to form by dominating his peers in a $130,000 Gold Final.
I Wont Dance made a break in his racing debut back in April, but after trainer Per Henriksen added a pair of trotting hopples to the gelding’s equipment bag, the Angus Hall son went on to capture his next four starts, including an elimination and the final of the Gold Series season opener at Mohawk Racetrack. However, through five starts from July 4 to Sept. 5, the gelding was only able to add one more victory to his resume, capturing a Canadian Breeders Championship Elimination at Mohawk on July 18.
Henriksen skipped the August Gold Series, and I Wont Dance made his return to the provincial program in last week’s elimination round at Rideau Carleton, where he made short work of the field with a 1:56 gate-to-wire effort from Post 7.
Heading into this week’s Gold Final, Rideau fans were not completely convinced that the gelding was back on form, so they sent reigning Gold Final champion Equity off as their top choice in the $130,000 skirmish. Starting from Post 5, regular reinsman Trevor Ritchie opted for the same tactics that landed him in the winner’s circle last week, sending I Wont Dance straight to the front where he carved out fractions of :28.2, :57.2 and 1:27.3 en route to a one and one-quarter length victory in 1:56.3.
Equity, whose eight race win streak came to a halt in last week’s elimination, settled for another runner-up share, while Hour Lavec finished five and one-quarter lengths back in third.
Henriksen trains I Wont Dance for M. Biasuzzi Stable Inc. of Ft. Pierce, FL. Through 14 starts the gelding now has seven wins and one second to his credit for earnings of $231,202.
I Wont Dance and Equity now have two Gold Final trophies apiece, and the rubber match will go postward at Western Fair Raceway on Oct. 2 and 9.
Outstanding Ontario Sires Stakes action continues at Rideau Carleton Raceway this Sunday, Sept. 27 when the two-year-old pacing colts square off for $130,000 in Gold Final action, and the two-year-old trotting colts battle in three $40,000 Gold Eliminations. Post time for Sunday’s program is 6:30 pm.
For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0924ridcfn.dat.