GLOUCESTER, ON — Last season’s freshman Grassroots champion Fast Pay got a savvy steer from Paul MacDonell at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday night to earn the first Gold Final title of the sophomore pacing colt campaign.

Leaving from Post 3 in the nine horse field, MacDonell settled Fast Pay into sixth spot as local reinsman John MacDonald hustled Blue Suede Shoes out to a :27 opening quarter. As Blue Suede Shoes stepped off a :56.2 half, MacDonell merged Fast Pay into the flow on the outside, using My Gift To You as a windbreak and providing cover to Shady Cam.

By the 1:24.1 three-quarters My Gift To You had a narrow lead over Blue Suede Shoes, but Fast Pay and Shady Cam were circling three-wide around the pacesetters and taking aim on the finish line. Rocketing off the final turn, Fast Pay led the field by a full three lengths at the top of the stretch and although Shady Cam did his best to play catch up, Fast Pay rolled under the wire a one and three-quarter length winner in 1:53.

Shady Cam earned the runner-up share of the $130,000 Gold Final purse, with Stonebridge Terror rounding out the top three.

An effortless seven length winner in last weekend’s elimination round, Fast Pay now boasts a record of three wins in five starts this season. David Menary trains the Western Terror son for his father Larry Menary of Caledon, Denis Breton of Welland and Phil Silvestri and Joseph Settimi of Hamilton. Sunday’s Gold Final triumph boosted Fast Pay’s lifetime earnings to $168,916.

A $38,000 yearling purchase at the 2007 Forest City Yearling Sale, Fast Pay did not record his first victory until last September, when he captured a Grassroots division at Dresden Raceway. Through 10 freshman starts the colt’s only other victory came in the Grassroots Championship at Flamboro Downs, where he sprinted to an eight length victory in 1:54.2.

To prepare for the gruelling sophomore campaign, Menary qualified Fast Pay once at Mohawk Racetrack on April 24, then dropped the youngster into a May 4 overnight event at Mohawk where he cruised to a two and a half length victory in a personal best 1:51.3. Fast Pay’s second start came in the May 16 eliminations for the Upper Canada Cup at Georgian Downs, where he finished fourth and failed to advance to the final. Competing instead in the consolation event one week later, the colt finished second to My Gift To You.

Fast Pay will return to Georgian Downs to begin defence of his Gold Final title on July 4 when the three-year-old pacing colts battle in Gold Elimination action.

Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday, July 12 when the three-year-old trotting colts arrive in the nation’s capital for the second Grassroots event on their 2009 schedule.

For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0607ridcfn.dat.