REXDALE, ON — Armbro Balmoral roared around Woodbine Racetrack on Monday night, setting a new Ontario Sires Stakes speed record and capturing his first $130,000 Gold Final.
In rein to Mario Baillargeon, the Camluck son stepped to the front of the field of three-year-old pacing colts and never looked back, reeling off fractions of :25.4, :54.4 and 1:22.3 before powering home to a remarkable five length victory in 1:50. The impressive mile shaved one-fifth of a second off the former OSS record set over the Woodbine oval by Firstline Luck in 2002.
“I think this was his best race. He jogged in 1:50 flat, he got parked to the quarter in :25.4 and it’s not 90 degrees out. It’s a little cool and we have a little wind,” said Milton resident Baillargeon after the race. “Hats off to (trainer) Ben Wallace for keeping a horse going in 1:50 four weeks in a row. It takes a good horse, but it takes a good trainer too.”
Milton resident Ben Wallace trains Armbro Balmoral for Barnett Zimmerman LLC of Deerfield, IL. Flawless since a stakes record 1:49.2 performance in his Canadian Breeders Championship Elimination at Woodbine on July 24, the gelding has paced to victory four times in the last four weeks with every mile timed in 1:50.3 or faster. His hot streak started with a 1:51.3 victory at Georgian Downs on July 3 and he has not been worse than second in the six starts since that non-winners of three races contest, earning a total of $232,345.
“This little horse is so full of himself right now,” added Baillargeon. “He hasn’t been beaten in a month and I hope we’re going to Flamboro (Downs) with him next Sunday (for the Confederation Cup).”
Second, third and fourth-place finishers Armbro Brando, Freedom Hanover and L H Stryker, owned by Ladino Fiori of North York and Kyle Reibeling of Clifford, were separated by a hair at the wire, with the rest of the field strung out behind them.
Armbro Balmoral’s popular victory returned $3.60 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show, Armbro Brando fans earned $7.40 on a place wager and $5.10 on a show ticket and Freedom Hanover paid $4.60 to show. The Armstrong Bros.-bred exactor was worth $22.50, the triactor returned $73.60 and adding L H Stryker into the mix for a superfecta play earned fans $123.75.
Many of the sophomore Ontario Sires Stakes regulars will be heading to Flamboro Downs on Sunday, Aug. 22 for the Confederation Cup and do not resume their Gold Series rivalry until Oct. 2 at Mohawk Racetrack.