SARNIA, ON — Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing colts return to Hiawatha Horse Park on Saturday, and Banner Yankee will be looking for some payback after being knocked out of contention at the head of the stretch in last weekend’s Clearwater Cup.
“He didn’t get hurt,” reports trainer Carl Jamieson. “He could’ve gone off stride and cut a tendon, we were lucky nothing happened.”
Sitting just behind eventual winner Silent Swing as the colts’ turned for home, Banner Yankee was interfered with when Loverboy Hanover veered off the rail. Forced to check his stride, Banner Yankee finished fifth, but was moved up to fourth when the judges placed Loverboy Hanover behind him.
After his eighth hard race in eight weeks, Jamieson eased off on Banner Yankee this week, allowing him to enjoy some rest and relaxation in the paddock in preparation for Saturday’s Gold Series Elimination.
“He jogged back today (Wednesday), that’s the first time he’s jogged back since he raced,” says the Princeton resident, who shares ownership on the colt with his partners in the Banner Yankee Stable. “He’s been out in the paddock, trying to freshen him up a bit.”
Though those eight starts the Grinfromeartoear son has posted four runner-up finishes and earned $120,132, but it has been tough slogging for the colt, who has not had much in the way of post position or racing luck.
“He’s done all that anyone could ask him to do,” notes Jamieson. “But he’s been racing a lot of top competition and drawing some bad posts and had some bad luck.
“When you have to use them hard leaving then have to come first up, it’s a bit tough on them, on any of them,” he adds.
The veteran horseman would like to see Banner Yankee record his first victory of the season this weekend, but after drawing Post 8, Jamieson does not like his chances.
“It gets their ego up a little bit high when they do some good,” he explains. “But he can’t seem to get a decent post and he’s drawn in with some tough competition on Saturday.”
Among the colts Banner Yankee and driver Jody Jamieson will face in Race 1 are their Clearwater Cup nemesis Loverboy Hanover (Post 1), first time Gold starters Secrets Nephew (Post 2) and Riverfront Cafe (Post 7) — who have been on hot streaks on the Woodbine Entertainment Group tracks — Clearwater Cup Elimination winners Smileforme (Post 5) and Make My Day (Post 9), and reigning Gold Final winner Grand Bend Turbo (Post 6).
The second $64,442 elimination features Clearwater Cup winner Silent Swing from Post 6, recent 1:50.4 winner Astronomical from Post 3 and sees the return of last year’s division leader Isle Of Patmos, making his 2005 Ontario Sires Stakes debut from Post 4.
Post time for the first Gold Series Elimination is 7:30 pm, with the second elimination going behind the gate as the sixth race on Hiawatha Horse Park’s Saturday evening show.
For a complete list of entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/esarfsa.html