CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — After a month-long break in Gold Series action, Ontario’s talented two-year-old trotting colts star in a pair of Gold Eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening.
During the break in Ontario Sires Stakes action the colts followed one of two paths, either racing in the Grand Circuit stakes at Mohawk Racetrack through early September, or heading to the Grassroots for one wild card start on Sept. 13. Among the colts who took the less travelled road to the Grassroots was Grand Sovereign and the Royal Strength son heads into Thursday’s battle full of confidence after romping to a six length victory in his Grassroots division.
“He went up to Sudbury for the wild card and won that easily,” says part owner John Baker of Brampton. “We rest him pretty good after each race, so he’ll be ready to go Thursday. I think he’ll do all right.”
Baker shares ownership on Grand Sovereign with trainer Budd Thorne of Fergus, longtime friend Terry Taylor of Whitby and Robert Rombough of Mississauga. The group’s decision to race the gelding lightly this season was dictated less by a training philosophy than the experience of almost losing the young trotter last fall. Purchased at the Forest City Yearling Sale, Grand Sovereign was among a group of yearlings infected with the Equine Herpes Virus and was sick for months afterward.
“He was sick for about four months with some kind of virus,” recalls Baker. “The other horse we bought down there died, but he was a pretty big horse and didn’t get it as bad.”
After recovering from the virus Grand Sovereign was well behind the training schedule many of peers were following and did not make his racing debut until Aug. 4. Since then the gelding has posted one win and one second in Grassroots action and third-place finishes in his elimination and the Final of the August Gold Series at Woodbine Racetrack.
“Maybe it helped him out too — in the long run — bringing him along slower,” says Baker, of the colt’s late arrival on the racing scene. “Some two-year-olds, it seems if you bring them along too fast they’re no good after.”
Regular driver Mike Saftic will steer the winner of $34,033 from Post 3 in the third race on Thursday and, while it is the closest Grand Sovereign has been to the rail since his Aug. 4 debut, Baker does not expect the post to impact the young trotter’s preferred style of racing.
“He’s never really had a good post, but he’s not much of a leaver,” says the owner. “But he can move, especially in the last half.”
Baker and his partners would love to see Grand Sovereign add to the 24 points he earned in the Woodbine Gold Series, but they are well aware that the task will be a tough one on Thursday against horses like division leader How Fair Is That (Post 6) and Champlain Stakes winner In Conchnito (Post 7).
“It’s getting tougher. The other ones are dropping out and it’s getting tougher every time,” notes Baker.
Grand Sovereign and the other 18 freshman trotting colts kick off Mohawk Racetrack’s Thursday evening program at 7:40 pm and also star in the third race. The top five finishers from each elimination will earn a return ticket to the Campbellville oval for the $130,000 Gold Final on Thursday, Oct. 2.