CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Buckhams Bay strolled around the Mohawk Racetrack oval on Thursday evening to a personal best 1:57 in the first of two $40,000 Gold Eliminations for the talented two-year-old trotting colts.

The division leader left smartly from the outside Post 8 and had established command of the race by the :13.3 opening eighth. On through the :28 quarter, :58.1 half and 1:28 three-quarters Buckhams Bay and driver Jacques Hebert sat contentedly on the front end, and then they cruised down the stretch to a one length victory in 1:57.

Sim Brown delivered a steady effort for trainer Jeffrey Gillis of Hillsburgh, ON and his partners Mac Nichol of Burlington, ON, and Gerald Stay of Buffalo, NY, to finish second, while Delcrest Julian closed well to nab third-place honours for owner Terry Hunter of Troy, ON. Plato, owned by George and Gregory Johnson of Milton, ON also advanced to next week’s Gold Final from fourth, as did fifth-place finisher Edit.

Thursday’s victory gives the gifted Buckhams Bay six wins and one second in seven starts and bumped his earnings to $265,000 for owners Courant AB of Halmstad, Sweden. Woodlawn, ON resident John Smith bred and trains the son of Ken Warkentin and prolific broodmare Merles Image. The colt is the most recent in a remarkable group of progeny that boasts six winners of $100,000-plus.

In the second split Milton, ON resident Steve Condren employed a similar strategy to earn Imperial Count his second Gold Elimination trophy. Starting from Post 2 Condren had the Angus Hall son moving swiftly off the gate, reaching the eighth in :13.4. Attorney Hanover swept by en route to the :28.2 quarter, but Condren opted not to sit behind the fans’ third choice and had retaken command before the :58 half.

Big Strike attempted a first over assault on the leader and the two colts matched strides heading into the final turn, but the challenger ran out of gas before the 1:27.3 three-quarters. Condren and Imperial Count entered the stretch with a one and one-half length cushion, but Air Stewart was on the move from three-wide and ground that margin down to a scant neck by the 1:57.2 finish.

Canamerica Capital Corp. and Hyatt Holdings Inc. of Milton, ON and Douglas Millard of Woodstock, ON share ownership of Air Stewart, who was well in front of hard closing third-place finisher Tymal Colossus. Early challenger Attorney Hanover earned the fourth-place share of the $40,000 purse and favourite Max Money, owned by Robert Burgess of Campbellville, ON and Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton, ON, rounded out the field for next week’s Gold Final.

Kevin O’Reilly of Moffat, ON conditions Imperial Count for Neven Botica of Perth, Australia. Through eight outings the colt has tallied three wins, one second and two thirds for earnings of $154,740, with his biggest victory coming in the Aug. 27 Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway. Imperial Count will attempt to upset Buckhams Bay and capture a second Gold Final title from Post 8 in next week’s Gold Final.

The Gold Elimination winners will be eye-to-eye behind the Woodbine Racetrack starting gate next week, as Buckhams Bay gets Post 9. The remainder of the $130,000 Gold Final field will be arranged behind the gate as follows:

$130,000 OSS Gold Final — Thursday, Oct. 21 at Woodbine Racetrack

Post 1 Attorney Hanover

Post 2 Air Stewart

Post 3 Tymal Colossus

Post 4 Delcrest Julian

Post 5 Edit

Post 6 Plato

Post 7 Sim Brown

Post 8 Imperial Count

Post 9 Buckhams Bay

Post 10 Max Money

For complete results please go to: Mohawk Racetrack Results — Oct. 14, 2010