REXDALE, ON — Northern Ensign got a new pair of shoes for Monday’s night’s $130,000 Gold Final at Woodbine Racetrack and the three-year-old trotting colt got a chance to show them off in the winner’s circle after he cruised to an effortless 1:56 victory.
“Last week he wasn’t quite as sure in his gait. Tonight, he was back to the way he was at the Meadowlands,” said driver John Campbell after the race. “I think they changed the shoes, and Mark (Harder) came up and trained him and was very happy with the way he trained, and it sure showed in his race.”
Leaving from Post 2, Campbell and Northern Ensign allowed Good To Be King to lay down the :27.3 opening fraction before assuming command. Campbell then engineered evenly rated middle fractions of :57.1 and 1:27.3 before sprinting down the stretch to the 1:56 victory for John Fielding of Toronto, trainer Mark Harder of Greensville and Bryan Montgomery of South Hackensack, NJ.
Brazen, who bested Northern Ensign in last week’s elimination round, raced gamely from Post 9 but could not catch his rival and finished one and three-quarter lengths back in second. Stonebridge Diablo picked up the third-place finisher’s share for trainer Ron Waples, Jr. of Fergus, driver Randy Waples of Milton, Dr. Sheila Atmore of Fergus and Alan Kirschenbaum of Burbank, CA.
After racing only three times as a two-year-old, Northern Ensign came into last week’s Gold Elimination off a two race win streak at The Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. Based on those victories, the fastest in 1:55.2, Woodbine fans made him their top choice in the elimination and liked his runner-up effort well enough to select him again on Monday. Northern Ensign repaid their loyalty with pay outs of $3.80, $2.60 and $2.30. Elimination winner Brazen was the fourth choice and returned $7.70 on a place wager and $4.00 for each show ticket and second choice Stonebridge Diablo paid $3.60 to show. The exactor returned $26.70 and the 2 – 9 – 4 triactor was worth $116.50.
Monday’s victory prompted Campbell to comment on Northern Ensign’s chances against his peers south of the border, and the Hall of Fame reinsman is confident the Ontario-bred trotter would be able to hold his own against the American breds.
“I think he’s a horse that has the potential to do that (Grand Circuit). There’s no reason to think he won’t,” said the veteran reinsman. “The New Jersey Sires went today (Monday) and he certainly fits with the best ones in that group down there.”
The fastest of the New Jersey Sires Stakes events at The Meadowlands on Monday was timed in 1:55.1, with the other three clocking in at 1:56 or more.
Northern Ensign will have a second opportunity to test his mettle in the Ontario Sires Stakes program when the three-year-old trotting colts head to Mohawk Racetrack on June 24. Next up on Woodbine Racetrack’s provincial schedule is a Trillium Series event for the three-year-old pacing fillies on June 6.