CAMPBELLVILLE, OCT. 4 — It was a successful one-two finish for trainer Bill Budd as Ontario’s top two-year-old pacing colts delivered another exciting performance in Friday evening’s Gold Series Final at Mohawk Racetrack.
Budd trainee Sir Luck continued his domination of the Gold Series in commanding style on Friday night with a wire-to-wire win worth $65,000.
Under Mike Saftic’s guidance, the Metro Pace winner showed good gate speed as he left the 6 hole and pulled his way to the front of the seven horse field. The talented two-year-old, owned by Cliff Siegel of Brooklyn, NY, was unchallenged as he pounded his way around the oval and claimed his third Gold Final victory of the season by crossing the wire two and a half lengths ahead of his nearest rival.
Posting an opening fraction of :27 flat on a Mohawk track that was downgraded to sloppy just after the Gold Final, Sir Luck brought it home in a respectable 1:53.2.
A pre-race favourite with the wagering fans, Sir Luck returned $3.80 for the win, $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show.
This latest Gold Series victory at Mohawk earned the talented freshman pacer another 50 points and has given him an insurmountable lead in the two-year-old pacing colt Gold Series division standings as the 2002 OSS season winds down, with just one regular season event remaining.
Playing runner-up to his impressive stable mate in Friday’s provincial action was Bill Budd’s second-string colt, Boulder Creek.
Also owned by Cliff Siegel, the Pacific Rocket youngster was primed for a tough head-to-head showdown with Sir Luck after pulling out a win in Gold Elimination action on Sept. 27.
Rounding out the top three in Friday’s Gold Final was Au Rumba. Driven by Mario Baillargeon, the Pacific Rocket colt was never a threat and ended his Gold Final appearance four lengths back of the leader.
The combined one-two punch of Sir Luck’s first-place and Boulder Creek’s second-place performances at Mohawk Friday means a tidy $97,500 payout for owner Cliff Siegel and an unshakeable grip on the two-year-old pacing colt Gold Series division for Bill Budd. With Super Final night fast approaching, it seems Budd’s boys are ready to take on any and all challengers.
The colts will make their final regular season stop at London’s Western Fair aceway on Nov. 2 and 8, and the division will go postward without Sir Luck according to Budd, who plans to rest the colt in preparation for the $300,000 Super Final on Nov. 16.