DUNDAS, ON — Grassroots regular The Northern Dude delivered a commanding performance at Flamboro Downs on Sunday evening to capture the first of two $40,000 Gold Eliminations.
Starting from Post 3 driver Chris Christoforou opted to put The Northern Dude on the engine and the three-year-old trotting colt rolled through fractions of :28.4, :58.3 and 1:28.1 on his way to an uncontested victory in a personal best 1:57.2. Cimeronken finished one and one-quarter lengths back in second, with Amigo Ranger three more lengths to the rear in third and Good Sound Advice three more lengths behind in fourth.
Campbellville resident Christoforou piloted The Northern Dude to his second sophomore victory for trainer Susie Kerwood of Rockwood and her partners, breeder Ann Munn of Guelph and Dave Nicol of Mount Hope. In five starts this season the son of Ken Warkentin and L R Alleys Concern has tallied two wins, one second and one third for earnings of $40,400. The colt’s other victory came in Grassroots action at Sudbury Downs on June 16.
In the other division, Cold Certified picked up his third Gold Elimination victory with a front end effort.
Like The Northern Dude, Cold Certified was sent straight to the front from Post 2 by Puslinch resident Jason Brewer and never looked back, laying down fractions of :28.3, :58 and 1:27.3 on his way to a 1:56.4 victory. Yackety Yak, owned by Robert Burgess of Campbellville, Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton, Archie Leach of London and P G Van Camp Stables of Port Perry, finished two lengths back in second and Mikey Hanover and Keystone Orion rounded out the top four.
Regular reinsman Brewer engineered the win for trainer Gary Lance and owners Trevor Lance, Sandy Moulton and GL Racing Inc. of Port Perry and Brian Samis of Uxbridge. The son of Kadabra and I Like Stephanie has been flawless in three Gold Elimination appearances this season, logging a personal best 1:55.3 in his June 30 elimination at Georgian Downs. In two Gold Finals he has collected one second and one sixth-place finish and will be looking to improve on that in next Sunday’s $130,000 contest.
In total Cold Certified has five wins and four seconds in 11 starts this season, banking $168,388 for his delighted owners.
The top four finishers from each elimination will return to Flamboro Downs next Sunday, Aug. 12 to battle in the third $130,000 Gold Final on the three-year-old trotting colt schedule. The colts will be joined by the nine three-year-old trotting fillies that were advanced directly to their Gold Final without need for eliminations, and both Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Finals will serve as a prelude to Flamboro Downs’ signature event, the Confederation Cup.
Post time for next Sunday’s world class program of harness racing is 1 pm.
For complete results please go to Flamboro Downs Results — August 5, 2012