CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — There was a great deal of movement in Thursday’s $130,000 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack, and when the dust settled at the end of the mile it all worked out in favour of Charlie Lavec.

As the starting gate pulled away from the field of two-year-old trotting colts , Mike Saftic sent Chuckie Lang after the lead from Post 3. The pair hit the quarter pole in :28.3, but were soon under heavy pressure from fan favourites Trevor Ritchie and reigning Gold Final champion Smarty Jims. As the colts swept by the :59.1 half Chuckie Lang refused to yield and Ritchie dropped Smarty Jims back onto the rail.

With Smarty Jims out of the way, Trond Smedshammer send Evidence As after the pacesetter and when Chuckie Lang hit the 1:29.2 three-quarters he was once again battling hard for the lead. As the colts turned for home Chuckie Lang had re-established a two length lead, but the cavalry was lining up behind him, bayonets drawn.

Four colts stormed past the tiring leader in the stretch and Good Knight and Keith Oliver hit the wire first, but the Ontario Racing Commission judges on duty at Mohawk discerned that the pair had gone inside two pylons in the stretch and gained an advantage. As a result, Good Knight was placed fifth behind Chuckie Lang and Paul MacDonell and Charlie Lavec were promoted to the winner’s circle.

Charlie Lavec had crossed the wire just three-quarters of a length behind Good Knight and a whisker in front of Evidence As, who was moved from third to second. Libra Vita crossed the wire in fourth, but was placed ahead to third and Chuckie Lang was moved up from fifth to fourth. Leaving from Post 8 MacDonell had cruised around at the rear of the field before shifting Charlie Lavec in to gear heading by the three-quarters and joining the cavalry charge down the stretch, hitting the wire in 2:01 over a track rated one second slower than normal.

Paula Wellwood trains Charlie Lavec for breeders Carwin Stables of Orono, Paul MacDonell Racing Stable of Guelph and her own P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc. of Cambridge. The son of Mr Lavec and Kims Glory made his racing debut in last week’s elimination, where he posted a 2:00.3 victory by three-quarters of a length over Dream On Ernie and Libra Vita.

Charlie Lavec prepped for his Ontario Sires Stakes debut with a pair of qualifiers at Mohawk, on June 30 and July 7. The first saw the gelding make a miscue at the start and trot home in 2:06, but in the second he delivered a steady effort to finish in the runner-up spot in 2:02.2.

The half-brother to $228,477 winner Royal Glory went off as the fan’s fourth choice and returned $16.20 to win, $7.30 to place and $4.50 to show. Third choice Evidence As delivered a $5.10 place pay out and a $4.00 show dividend, while long shot Libra Vita returned $10 to show.

Charlie Lavec will have an opportunity to prove that he deserved the Gold Final title at Grand River Raceway on July 31 when the two-year-old trotting colts square off for their third Gold Series event.

Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Mohawk Racetrack on Monday, July 24 with the outstanding two-year-old pacing fillies in their second Gold Final.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rmohsth.html#N5