SARNIA, ON — Over the past few weeks Dr. Ian Moore has tweaked Astronomical’s routine in response to Ontario’s smoggy, humid air and the three-year-old pacing colt has responded with two consecutive victories. So, while the weather may be a little cooler at Hiawatha Horse Park on Saturday night, the P.E.I. native is not making any changes heading into the $130,000 Gold Final.

“I give him at least two days off after a race. I think it takes a horse that long to recover up here,” notes Moore. “I jog him for a couple days and then I’ll go a double header Thursday, a couple of days out, and turn him out again on Friday. I’m going to stick with that this week.”

In the thick of the recent heat wave Moore also altered the colt’s race night program, rather than jogging his first time out of the race paddock and going a fast warm up mile the second, he simply jogged the colt around the Mohawk Racetrack oval both trips. That night, June 25, Astronomical recorded an impressive 1:50.4 victory against a group of top three-year-olds, so Moore repeated the program before last week’s elimination at Hiawatha and once again the colt emerged victorious with a 1:52.1 effort.

Astronomical will make a bid for his first Gold Final title from Post 3 in Race 11, and Moore hopes the winner of $199,234 can use the inside post to his advantage, especially with other elimination winner, Secret’s Nephew, starting from Post 8.

“In all those races post positions are important,” says Moore, who shares ownership on Astronomical with William Shearer of Bedford, NS and R. G. McGroup Ltd. of Bathurst, NB. “If you draw outside you have to leave hard and if you burn them up leaving too much, it takes something out of them.”

Fortunately for Moore and his partners, Astronomical has proven to be very easy on himself, eating and drinking well, resting often and not using up any more energy than necessary in his daily routine.

“He’s a smart horse, he’s very intelligent,” says Moore. “He eats more than any horse I’ve ever had and he lays down a lot. He doesn’t go nuts in the paddock and he drinks a lot of water. He’ll drink three full buckets a day.

“He works with you, he’s just a pleasure to be around.”

Moore and his partners were so impressed with Astronomical at two that they purchased a second son of Astreos, Impeccable, who finished fourth in the freshman pacing colt Gold Eliminations at Kawartha Downs on June 28.

“I have a nice two-year-old too. He’s an Astreos and was only beat two and a quarter lengths at Kawartha,” says the trainer-driver. “The Astreos’ seem to be very nice gaited horses and they all seem to be very willing in terms of attitude and wanting to do it for you. They seem to be the breed of the times right at the moment.”

Moore’s observation seems to be correct as four sons of Astreos will start in Saturday night’s Gold Final at Hiawatha Horse Park. In addition to Astronomical, Noble Jake (Post 1), Isle of Patmos (Post 6) and Zooka (Post 9) are all by the $1 million winner.

Hiawatha Horse Park’s Saturday evening program begins at 7:30 pm and the three-year-old pacing colts will bring down the house in Race 11.

For a complete list of entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/esarfsa.html