CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Ontario Sires Stakes fans were expecting speed during Thursday’s $130,000 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack, and the two-year-old pacing colts did not disappoint.
With a 1:52.3 clocking in his elimination victory, Mohawk fans sent Lyons Elite off as their top choice from Post 1. From Post 3, 1:53.4 elimination winner Bullet Speed was a distant third choice, while the other elimination winner, Mach It Big, was a late scratch from the event due to illness. In that colt’s absence, Mohawk fans assigned Mystician (Post 6) second-favoured status on the basis of his runner-up performance behind Mach It Big in their 1:53 elimination.
As the field of 10 rolled in behind the starting gate, driver Jody Jamieson had Mystician in high gear and the son of Camluck and Mystic Mistress sprinted up the centre of the track to a :12.3 opening eighth and a :26.3 quarter. Fans appeared to have an exactor nicely mapped out as Jack Moiseyev sent Lyons Elite after the lead coming off the turn and backed the pace off to a :55.2 half.
Lyons Elite continued to set the tempo through the 1:24.2 three-quarters, with Drain Daddy sitting on his flank and Mystician breathing down his neck, but the horses in the back field were getting restless and, led by Bullet Speed, mounted a three-wide attack on the leaders. Turning for home Lyons Elite still had a scant lead, but it was clear the fan’s choice was fading badly, so Moiseyev allowed the youngster to drift off the rail and open up a lane for the colts on his heels.
Once he saw daylight, Mystician exploded out of the pocket and roared down the stretch to a one and three-quarter length victory in a stellar 1:52.1. Mark MacDonald’s decision to tuck Machal Jackson in behind Mystician through the early going worked out better than he anticipated, as his mount sprinted along behind the winner into second. Bullet Speed took the long way round to land the third-place finisher’s share of the $130,000 Gold Final purse.
Dr. Dew finished fourth, and after drawing in off the also eligible list when Mach It Big was scratched, Watermelonwine rushed down the stretch into fifth.
Hillsburgh, ON resident Jeff Gillis trains Mystician for his partners Ken Henwood of Mississauga, ON, Mac Nichol of Burlington, ON and Gerald Stay of Buffalo, NY. The full brother to $779,728 winner Camystic and $616,605 winner Lucks Mistress now boasts a record of two wins and one second in three outings for earnings of $83,000, making his $45,000 purchase price from last fall’s Canadian Open Yearling Sale seem like a bargain.
As long as he remains healthy and happy, Mystician will make his fourth start in July 26 eliminations for the Battle of Waterloo at Grand River Raceway, joined by many of his two-year-old pacing colt peers. The precocious youngster is also eligible to the $1 million Metro Pace at Mohawk in late August.
The youngsters resume their Ontario Sires Stakes rivalry on Aug. 8 at Flamboro Downs.
Mohawk Racetrack’s provincial stakes schedule continues to hum along, with the two-year-old trotting colts battling in their first $130,000 Gold Final on Monday, July 19, post time 7:20 pm.
For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0715mohsn.dat.