REXDALE, ON — For the second straight week Luc Ouellette engineered a perfect pocket trip around the Woodbine Racetrack oval for Lennon Blue Chip, and this Monday the two-year-old pacing colt was able to take full advantage and score his first Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final victory.

Leaving from Post 8, Ouellette gunned Lennon Blue Chip off the gate and then allowed the undefeated Deuce Seelster to take control heading for the :27 opening quarter. Content to sit on Deuce Seelster’s heel’s, Ouellette and Lennon Blue Chip watched the leader ring up a :55.2 half before stepping to the outside just in front of fan favourite Keystone Horatio.

At the 1:23.4 three-quarters, Deuce Seelster was one length ahead of Lennon Blue Chip and two and a half lengths ahead of Keystone Horatio, but turning for home Ouellette had moved Lennon Blue Chip to within half a length of the leader.

In an all out sprint to the wire, this week it was Lennon Blue Chip who prevailed, getting a neck in front of Deuce Seelster for the 1:51.1 victory. Keystone Horatio, who paced to an Ontario Sires Stakes record 1:51 in last week’s elimination, settled for third.

Campbellville resident Ouellette piloted Lennon Blue Chip to the win for trainer Brenda Teague of Houston, DE and her partner Rodney Mitchell Inc. of Dover, DE. The win was the No Pan Intended son’s third of the season, and his first in stakes action.

After debuting at The Meadowlands with a runner-up finish on July 26, Lennon Blue Chip shipped into Ontario and promptly found the winner’s circle in an Aug. 19 overnight event at Mohawk Racetrack. A third and another victory in his next two outings earned the colt a promotion into the big leagues, and he held his own with a fourth and a fifth in divisions of the Champlain and Nassagaweya Stakes at Mohawk in September.

Lennon Blue Chip made his Ontario Sires Stakes debut in the rich Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sept. 30, finishing third, and then stalked Keystone Horatio through his record setting mile in last week’s elimination, finishing one length behind the winner.

Monday’s triumph boosted the colt’s freshman record to three wins, two seconds, two thirds, one fourth and one fifth in nine starts, for earnings of $143,746, and bumped him from ninth to fifth in the race for one of ten spots in the $300,000 Super Final on Nov. 10 at Woodbine.

Lennon Blue Chip has one opportunity to defend his Gold Final title before the Super Final invitations are handed out. The two-year-old pacing colts wrap up their regular season at Windsor Raceway on Oct. 24 and 31.

Ontario Sires Stakes action continues at Woodbine Racetrack on Friday, Oct. 19 with Gold Eliminations for the three-year-old trotting colts.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rwdbsmo.html#N5