DUNDAS, ON — Lightly regarded two-year-old trotting colt Daylon Magician delivered an outstanding effort at Flamboro Downs on Saturday afternoon to capture the second of two $40,000 Gold Eliminations in a track and Ontario Sires Stakes record 1:57.4.

Sent off from the outside Post 8 as the longest shot in the nine horse field, Daylon Magician fired off the gate and raced around the first turn in the middle of the racetrack, held off the rail by Calipari and Idle Time. Daylon Magician got a nose in front just before the :28.1 opening quarter and had established a comfortable lead by the :58.3 half, but Calipari was driving up the outside, providing a friendly wind break to fan favourite and two-time Gold Final winner Buckhams Bay.

The field raced by the 1:28.3 three-quarters in a tightly bunched pack, with Calipari carving Daylon Magician’s lead down to half a length around the last turn and Buckhams Bay continuing to draft along second-over. Turning for home Jack Moiseyev asked Daylon Magician for an extra gear and the son of Kadabra delivered, sprinting down the stretch to secure a one and three-quarter length victory in a record setting 1:57.4.

Buckhams Bay also shifted into high gear in the stretch, but could not catch Daylon Magician and had to settle for second in his first race since Aug. 4. Max Money closed hard from behind Buckhams Bay to earn the third-place finisher’s share of the Gold Elimination purse, and Calipari also advanced to next week’s Gold Final with his fourth-place result.

Komoka, ON resident David Lemon bred, owns and trains Daylon Magician, who peeled almost a full second off the 1:58.3 Ontario Sires Stakes record set by Pointe To Pointe last season.

Daylon Magician started his career with a victory in the Grassroots season opener at Hiawatha Horse Park on July 15, and then tackled the Gold Series colts at Grand River Raceway. The half-brother to $329,941 winner Daylon Mystique finished third in his July 28 Gold Elimination and was placed from fifth back to sixth in the Aug. 4 Gold Final for making a late break.

Returning to Grassroots company at Kawartha Downs on Aug. 17 Daylon Magician finished second, but made another late break that forced him to re-qualify before Saturday’s test. In that Sept. 10 qualifier the colt toured the Mohawk Racetrack oval in 1:59.3, reaching the wire three and one-quarter lengths ahead of the competition.

Moffat, ON resident Moiseyev will steer Daylon Magician after another victory from Post 4 in next Saturday’s Gold Final.

The other Gold Elimination also saw a long shot reach the wire at the head of the pack. Delcrest Julian and driver Anthony MacDonald were out hustled from Post 1 by Holy Kadabra and Imperial Count, but MacDonald sent the Oaklea Julian son after the lead before the :29.1 quarter. Once he had settled in, Delcrest Julian cruised along on the front end to a :59.1 half, and then fought off a challenge from fan favourite Sim Brown heading by the 1:28.3 three-quarters.

Heading into the final turn Delcrest Julian, Sim Brown and Imperial Count had pulled away from the rest of the field, but both challengers went off stride at the crest of the turn, scattering the field in their wake and leaving Delcrest Julian to trot under the wire all alone. The colt scored his first lifetime victory in a clocking of 1:58.3, eight and a half lengths ahead of Attorney Hanover, Bruce The Brave and Over And Out.

Guelph, ON resident James MacDonald conditions Delcrest Julian for Terry Hunter of Troy, ON, who offered up $7,500 for the youngster at last fall’s Canadian Open Yearling Sale. Through nine starts the colt has posted one win, one second and one third for earnings of $42,000, and seems to be rounding into shape after some early season struggles.

Delcrest Julian will be hampered in his bid for a second lifetime victory by the outside Post 8 in next week’s $130,000 Gold Final.

The complete line up for the Saturday, Oct. 2 Gold Final at Flamboro Downs is as follows:

$130,000 Gold Series Final — Saturday, Oct. 2 at Flamboro Downs

Post 1 Max Money

Post 2 Buckhams Bay

Post 3 Calipari

Post 4 Daylon Magician

Post 5 Over And Out

Post 6 Bruce The Brave

Post 7 Attorney Hanover

Post 8 Delcrest Julian

Also Eligible 1 Holy Kadabra

Also Eligible 2 Winford Hanover

Also Eligible 3 Bob From Brussels

For complete results please go to: Flamboro Downs Results — Sept. 25, 2010