REXDALE, ON — Ontario’s talented three-year-old pacing colts gave Woodbine Racetrack fans another outstanding display in their $130,00 Gold Final on Saturday, which saw a different colt coronated for the third time this season.
After being favoured in the last Gold Final and winding up third, Famous Seelster finally got his moment in the sun with a 1:51.2 triumph over The Mighty Po Po. The Rustler Hanover son and Mike Saftic employed their usual come-from-behind tactics to score the narrow victory, waiting until the three-quarter pole to get into the race and then fending off a determined challenge from hard closing The Mighty Po Po down the stretch.
“He’s a very, very nice horse, he showed it in the eliminations. I drew a better post this week and I couldn’t draw a better trip,” said Saftic after the race. “I knew John Campbell was on my back with The Mighty Po Po, and he is a big closer, but my colt gets home well too. It was a big mile and he raced big.”
Armbro Acquire overcame interference at the top of the stretch to pick up the third-place finisher’s share of the $130,000 purse.
Sent off as the fans’ third choice, Famous Seelster returned $15.10 on a win voucher, $5.30 to place and $4.50 on a show wager. Second choice The Mighty Po Po returned $3.30 to place and $4.10 to show, while fourth choice Armbro Acquire’s third-place effort was worth $9.10. The exactor and triactor returned $67.00 and $543.00, while taking a shot at the superfecta landed fans a hearty $2,475.70.
Bill Budd trains Famous Seelster for C And I Siegel Racing Stable Ltd. of Brooklyn, NY and John Fodera of Staten Island, NY. Since acquiring the Rustler Hanover son for $100,000 at the spring mixed sale the partners have banked $180,979 on Famous Seelster’s behalf. In 10 starts the talented colt has posted seven victories, including two Gold Elimination wins, Saturday’s Gold Final win and the elimination and Final of the Clearwater Cup, and one third.
Budd and Siegel’s other entry, elimination winner and race favourite Boulder Creek, fought for the lead through much of the mile, but faded to eighth down the stretch.
The three-year-old pacing colts now enjoy a seven-week break from Ontario Sires Stakes action, giving them an opportunity to compete on the world stage in August and September.
Woodbine Racetrack rounds out an exciting weekend of Ontario Sires Stakes action on Monday with the $130,000 Gold Final for the gifted three-year-old trotting fillies.