DUNDAS, ON — Heavy favourites captured both Gold Series Finals and the Confederation Cup Final at Flamboro Downs on Sunday evening.

Ontario’s talented two-year-old pacing colts kicked off the stakes laden evening with another impressive demonstration by Alastor Hanover. The Rustler Hanover son and regular driver Mario Baillargeon took control of the race heading for the halfway marker and never had to glance over their shoulders, cruising home to a one and a quarter length victory in 1:54.1. U Lucky Guy and Presidential Alert claimed the second and third-place prizes in the $130,000 contest.

Alastor Hanover’s win streak now stands at five. The Mark Ford trainee has not missed a trip to the winner’s circle since the Gold Series season opener at Kawartha Downs on June 28. Vicki Fair of Bedford, PA owns the colt, a $13,000 yearling purchase out of last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale who has earned $169,950 through 10 starts.

After two exciting Confederation Cup eliminations the three-year-old trotting colts took to the Dundas half-mile in their $130,000 Gold Final battle and frequent bridesmaid Stonebridge Diablo finally found his way to the winner’s circle. Randy Waples gave the Angus Hall son a classic pocket steer, sitting in behind pacesetter Reserved Image through fractions of :28, :59.2 and 1:28.4 and then firing up in the stretch to claim the victory by a nose in 1:58.2 Reserved Image was forced to settle for second and Good To Be King earned a promotion from fourth to third when the judges set Adam T back for failing to lose ground while on a late break.

Milton resident Waples shares ownership on Stonebridge Diablo with his brother, and the gelding’s trainer, Ron Waples, Jr. of Fergus, Dr. Sheila Atmore of Fergus and Alan Kirschenbaum of Burbank, CA. The partners have watched the trotter rack up a record of five wins, four seconds and seven thirds over the last two years for earnings of $326,434.

Stonebridge Diablo has been on a roll in recent weeks, claiming his first win of the season in the Canadian Breeders Championship elimination round, finishing second in the Final and then capturing his Gold Elimination at Flamboro last week.

After catching their breath while the trotting colts battled in the tenth race, the Confederation Cup finalists returned to the track for their $459,000 showdown in Race 11 and favourite American Ideal delivered an outstanding performance that saw him hit the finish line seven and three-quarter lengths ahead of the competition in a track record.

The colt and driver Mark MacDonald powered across the finish line in an eye popping 1:50.3, just one-fifth of a second off the world record for a three-year-old pacing colt on a half-mile track. While the pair missed the world record for a single race, they did set a new world standard for two heats with their 1:51.2 elimination effort and the 1:50.3 final tallying to 3:42, one-fifth of a second faster than the former world record for two heats set by Million Dollar Cam in the 2002 Little Brown Jug.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rflmdsu.html