REXDALE, ON — After lowering the Ontario Sires Stakes record on Friday night with sophomore trotting filly McCall Magic, driver Steve Condren came within a hair of posting another record at Woodbine Racetrack when he piloted In Conchnito to a Gold Final triumph Saturday.
Leaving from Post 10 the pair fired off the wings and landed in third spot, sitting on the outside behind Flight Dream and Loose Change Louie as they trotted to a :27.1 opening quarter. Just past the :58.1 half Condren sent In Conchnito after the lead and the colt responded with a sharp effort, reaching the three-quarters in 1:26.3. Under heavy pressure from favourite Coventry, the colt powered around the final turn and down the stretch to the 1:54.4 victory, just one-fifth of a second slower than Rotation’s OSS record.
“He lucked out and got away close to the front,” said Condren after the race. “I really didn’t expect to get any position. I was just hoping to get away somewhere in the pack and draw some live cover.
“He’s really learned to switch gears real quick. He proved it tonight,” added the Milton resident. “They were going to the half pretty slow and he just stepped around that other colt (Flight Dream) pretty handy.”
Coventry settled for second in Race 5 and Flight Dream stayed game for third-place in the $130,000 contest.
Condren drives In Conchnito for trainer Bob McIntosh of LaSalle, Dave Boyle of Bowmanville and CSX Stables of Liberty Center, OH. McIntosh and CSX Stables also bred the colt, who is a son of King Conch and Super Pleasure mare Inas Gaetane.
Saturday’s win was In Conchnito’s second of the season. The colt captured a Flamboro Breeders event in his sophomore debut on June 5, then finished second in his elimination and fourth in the final of the Goodtimes Trot at Woodbine June 12 and 19. In last week’s elimination In Conchnito finished just three-quarters of a length behind Coventry and Condren was pleased to see the order reversed for the $130,000 Gold Final.
“Doug’s (Ackerman) colt is a nice, big, green colt and every time I got close to him last week, his colt took the bit and took off,” explained the veteran reinsman. “This week I was glad I got ahead of him because he prompted my colt along.”
The rivals will face each other in Gold Series action for the third time this season on July 10 at Kawartha Downs. Woodbine Racetrack’s action-packed Ontario Sires Stakes schedule continues Monday evening with the Gold Final for the exciting two-year-old pacing colts.