REXDALE, ON — Ontario’s talented two-year-old trotting colts make their third Gold Series start at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday night, competing for a total of $94,302 in three eliminations.
Division leader Meadowview Sunny puts his undefeated record on the line from Post 5 in the second race for trainer Paul Shakes of Stayner and owner-breeder Charles Reid of Orono. The Classic Adam son and driver Doug Brown have dominated the division with two elimination wins, a track record performance in the Gold Final at Kawartha Downs on July 20 and an impressive win from the outside Post 7 over Elmira Raceway’s half-mile oval in the Aug. 5 Final.
The other six colts in Race 2 are eager to bring Meadowview Sunny’s win streak to a halt and claim the lion’s share of the provincial purse. Among the youngsters hoping to edge the division leader off the podium is Kingdom, who finished a close second to Meadowview Sunny in the Kawartha Gold Final and sits second in the Super Final point standings with 75.
“Kingdom is a fabulous colt. He raced extremely well for me in Kawartha Downs, unfortunately came up a nose short, but trotted extremely well in 1:58.1,” says the colt’s trainer-driver Rick Zeron. “I opted out of Elmira because of the flat turns. I wanted my horse to stay strong. He still has 12 races left in his season this year and I thought 14 races plus a qualifier, 15, would be lots for him.”
Zeron shares ownership on Kingdom with The Camel Club Stable of Hamilton and Gestion Charest of Montreal, QC and the Oakville resident says the King Conch colt is ready to rumble from Post 4 in spite of the month-long break he has had between starts.
“He trained back very well, is prepped and ready to rock and roll for Monday night,” says the trainer. “Unfortunately we got in with the big gun of Doug Brown’s, but you know, we’ll see if we can go to the battle with him.”
Kingdom scored a victory in the elimination round at Kawartha at the expense of Ethen Seelster, who made a late break and was placed back from first to second. After repeat performances in the Final and the Elmira eliminations trainer Bob McIntosh added trotting hopples to Ethen Seelster’s equipment and a 1:59.3 qualifier at Windsor Raceway on Aug. 14 has the Windsor resident hoping for an improved performance from the Mr Lavec son on Monday.
“He qualified real good with the trotting hopples on. I am cautiously optimistic about him,” says last year’s Johnston Cup winning trainer. “(Driver) Chris Christoforou loves the horse. He’s got a lot of confidence in him.”
Christoforou will pilot Ethen Seelster from Post 3 in the sixth race and McIntosh hopes the trotting hopples will provide the extra support the colt needs to start paying off his $42,000 US purchase price. McIntosh, CSX Stable of Liberty Center, OH and Dave Boyle of Bowmanville share ownership on the brother to $457,549 winner Eager Seelster, acquiring him at last fall’s Kentucky Standardbred Yearling Sale.
The curtain goes up on Woodbine’s last Gold Series Eliminations at 7:40 pm on Monday. The two-year-old trotting colts are featured in Races 1, 2, and 6 and the top three finishers, plus one fourth-place finisher drawn by lot, will return to the Rexdale oval on Aug. 26 for their third $130,000 Gold Final.
Fans who cannot make it to Woodbine can catch the first two Gold Series Eliminations on The SCORE sports channel Monday night. The program begins at 7:30 pm and will also feature Races 3 and 4.