REXDALE, ON — Carl Jamieson colts captured two of three Gold Series Eliminations at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday evening.
Banner Yankee kicked off the successful evening for the Jamieson team with a remarkable 1:54.1 effort. In rein to Jody Jamieson the Grinfromeartoear colt made a break leaving the gate and landed in fifth spot, seven lengths behind early pacesetter Toy Rocket. As Toy Rocket led the colts through fractions of :26.3, :58 and 1:26.3 the young reinsman moved Banner Yankee steadily up the outside in pursuit of the lead, reaching the front just past the three-quarter marker and sprinting home to a three length victory over Moonstrosity and Fastest Rustler.
“He can really race anywhere, I just rushed him off of his feet a little bit today,” said Jody Jamieson from the winner’s circle. “He recovered right away and just made me look really good.”
Owned by the Banner Yankee Stable of Princeton, the colt was a bargain basement purchase at the Harrisburg Yearling Sale last fall, going to Carl Jamieson for just $13,000 US.
“A lot of people didn’t like him because he was an embryo transplant, and he is a ridgling on top of that, so they didn’t like him I guess. But I love him,” said Carl Jamieson about the brother to $506,752 winner Electric Yankee. “I have some nice colts, the two other colts that I have here tonight I really like too, but I always thought that this guy was the best.”
Jamieson’s assessment of his freshman pacing colt string was proven correct when Lincoln Parke scored a victory in his elimination three races later. The Astreos colt and Jody Jamieson cruised around the seven-eighths mile oval in front, sailing under the wire three lengths on top in 1:55.
“He is a little aggressive,” said the driver of his second winner. “You can leave or take him off of the gate, but he tends to be a little aggressive around other horses.”
A $20,000 purchase at the Canadian Classic Yearling Sale, Lincoln Parke is the only horse in his barn that Carl Jamieson does not own a share of. Ted Smith of Milton, Karl Ungerman of Toronto, Arthur Slack of Cumbria, ENG and George Harrison of Lancashire, GB share ownership on the youngster, who bested Silent Swing and Armbro Cougar.
Caviarandsoftmusic, owned by Carl Jamieson, Ken Henwood of Schomberg and Harvey Weiner of Ottawa, finished third in the other elimination, four lengths behind winner Grand Bend Turbo. Armbro Chivalry, owned by Carmine Cesta of Toronto, Eric Udrzal of Mississauga, trainer Mario Macri of Oakville and Vince Mastrangelo of Brampton, paced into second place.
Reg Gassien piloted Grand Bend Turbo to the 1:54.4 victory for his partners, trainer Jim Ainsworth of Sarnia and William Boden of Vancouver, and was impressed by the colt.
“This is actually only the second time that I have seen him,” said the Lindsay resident. “I went to Sarnia and schooled him once (June 17) and I really liked him. He is as good as I think he is so far.”
Sitting well back through the early going, Gassien and Grand Bend Turbo made a bold three-wide move at the three-quarter pole to capture the lead and sprint home to the quarter length victory.
“He was getting pretty grabby in there and I thought it would be a safer route to take him a little wider instead of having him make a break in there,” said Gassien, adding that he had neglected to pull the colt’s ear plugs heading down the stretch. “We were pretty close there at the wire and I was a little scared to pull them out in case he did something. I think he could have gone a little more if he had to.”
The priciest of the three winners, Grand Bend Turbo was a $33,000 US purchase at the Harrisburg Yearling Sale last fall.
The top three finishers from each elimination, plus one of fourth-place finishers SA Cheerokee Chief, Rigio Hanover or Loverboy Hanover, will return to Woodbine Racetrack on Monday, July 5 for the first $130,000 Gold Final of their careers.