ELORA, ON — Racing over an off track for a second straight week did not deter Daylon Magician from adding a third Gold Final trophy to his collection on Friday evening at Grand River Raceway.
As in the elimination round, Mother Nature did not cooperate with the three-year-old trotting colts, who had to compete over a Grand River surface rated three seconds slower than normal. That fact did not impact driver Jack Moiseyev’s confidence in Daylon Magician, who started from Post 3, and the reinsman only allowed Imperial Count to enjoy the view from the front through the :28.1 opening quarter.
Daylon Magician controlled the tempo through the remainder of the mile, clocking a :58 half and a 1:28.1 three-quarters, before trotting down the stretch to a one and three-quarter length victory in 1:58.1. Imperial Count delivered his best result since early August, finishing second to the fan favourite, and last week’s runner-up Delcrest Julian trotted strongly down the stretch to finish third.
Fourth and fifth-place finishers Mister Herbie and Mr Joe Sixpack rounded out the money earners in the $130,000 Gold Final contest.
The win was the seventh straight for Daylon Magician, who has been a force to be reckoned with this season, not just on the Ontario Sires Stakes circuit, but against the top colts in North America. In addition to seven wins and one third in Gold Series action, the son of Kadabra and Daylon Marvel captured the Canadian Breeders Championship in July and swept his elimination and the final of the $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic earlier this month. The colt also captured the consolation for the Goodtimes Stake in June after making a rare break in the elimination.
Dave Lemon of Komoka bred, owns and trains Daylon Magician, who boasts a record of 11 wins and one third in 13 sophomore starts, and three wins, two seconds and one third in eight freshman starts for career earnings of $1,135,777. The colt is a remarkable 246 points ahead of second-ranked Imperial Count in the three-year-old trotting colt Gold Series division standings.
As a measure of the colt’s ability, last season Daylon Magician established Ontario Sires Stakes records on half and seven-eighths mile tracks and this season he has matched the Ontario Sires Stakes record on both half and seven-eighths mile tracks, writing his name into the history books alongside $1.6 million winner Define The World and $3.2 million winner Arch Madness, who continue to compete at the sport’s highest levels.
Daylon Magician will have one final opportunity to add Gold Series hardware to his collection, as the three-year-old trotting colts wrap up their regular season at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 8 and 15. The top 10 point earners will then return to Woodbine for the $300,000 Super Final on Nov. 12, where Daylon Magician will attempt to replicate the OSS record setting performance he delivered last season.
Friday’s Gold Final wrapped up Grand River Raceway’s 2011 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which saw two track records lowered in the final weeks. Daylon Magician clocked a sophomore trotting colt record in last Friday’s Gold Elimination, and sophomore pacing colt Prodigal Seelster delivered a track record in Gold Final action on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
For complete results please go to: Grand River Raceway Results — Sept. 30, 2011