INNISFIL, ON — Ontario’s exciting two-year-old trotting colts put on an impressive show for Georgian Downs fans in two $40,000 Gold Eliminations on Tuesday evening.
In the opening split two-time Gold Final winner Murmur Hanover and driver Mario Baillargeon fired away from Post 7 to reach the opening quarter in a sharp :27.4. Baillargeon eased up on the accelerator heading for the :58.3 half, but picked up the tempo again when Cool Victory came calling.
Murmur Hanover hit the 1:27.2 three-quarters one and one-half lengths ahead of Cool Victory and turned for home with a similar margin. Although Cool Victory battled hard down the stretch, Murmur Hanover refused to yield and kept a neck in front to pick up his fifth victory in a track record 1:56.3.
Ozzy Ozzy hit the wire two and one-quarter lengths behind the battling leaders, well ahead of fourth-place finisher Sam Hayes.
Baillargeon engineered the victory — which peeled one second off the 1:57.3 mile recorded by PL Fantastic just over one year ago — for his brother, trainer Benoit Baillargeon and owner R. Berthiaume Inc. of Pointe-Aux-Trembles, QC.
Through 10 starts Murmur Hanover now boasts a record of five wins, two seconds and one third for earnings of $333,109. The Majestic Son colt leads the two-year-old trotting colt division with 258 points and now owns three Gold Elimination and two Gold Final trophies.
The colt will return to Post 7 for next Tuesday’s $130,000 Gold Final.
In the other elimination Majestized got out to an early lead from Post 1, rolling by the opening quarter in :29.2, and then handed off to Schoolhouse Rock. That colt led the field to a :59.3 half and a 1:28.4 three-quarters and turned for home with a one length lead, but could not hold off the late charge from Majestized and Ark Went In.
Majestized hit the wire first, stopping the clock at 1:58.2, and Ark Went In was three-quarters of a length back in second. Schoolhouse Rock was just one length back in third, with another length to fourth-place finisher Sparky Gypsy and five more to Its Payday Friday, who was lucky enough to be the fifth-place selected by random draw to occupy the final berth in next week’s $130,000 skirmish.
Jack Moiseyev piloted Majestized to his third Gold Final win for trainer Linda Duncan and owners Johnny and Kimberley Waite of Camden, DE. In eight starts the colt, another Majestic Son offspring, has three wins, one second and earnings of $70,000.
In both of his previous Gold Final appearances Majestized made costly early breaks, so driver Jack Moiseyev will be hoping to avoid that outcome when he lines up at the outside Post 9 next Tuesday.
The complete field for the $130,000 Gold Final is as follows:
$130,000 Gold Final — Tuesday, Oct. 2 at Georgian Downs
Post 1 Cool Victory
Post 2 Ark Went In
Post 3 Schoolhouse Rock
Post 4 Its Payday Friday
Post 5 Ozzy Ozzy
Post 6 Sam Hayes
Post 7 Murmur Hanover
Post 8 Sparky Gypsy
Post 9 Majestized
For complete results please go to Georgian Downs Results — September 25, 2012