REXDALE, ON — Firstline Luck came up with a brilliant effort at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday night to post his second hard fought victory in a stakes final this summer.
In rein to driver Rick Zeron, Firstline Luck paced off the wings into third-place in the $130,000 Gold Series Final and then sat patiently while elimination winner Armbro Warranty posted swift fractions of :26, :54 and 1:21.4. Up to five lengths off the pace through the mile, Zeron tightened the margin to two lengths at the top of the stretch and as the colts turned for home he sent Firstline Luck into the thick of the cavalry charge to the wire.
Down the stretch the Camluck son delivered an impressive finishing kick that powered him to the three-quarter length victory in an Ontario Sires Stakes record 1:50.1, taking two-fifths of a second off the mark that Armbro Warranty set last Saturday.
Bill Cass trains Firstline Luck, who also posted a narrow victory in the June 22 Clearwater Cup Final at Hiawatha Horse Park, and the Milton resident and owner John Craig of North York were very pleased to see the gelding deliver his first Gold Series victory.
“Last year he was big and fast and was always coming up with different problems,” said Cass in the Woodbine winner’s enclosure. “Over the past year, he’s matured into a strong race horse. He’s turned out to be a top colt. We’ll keep racing him in the Ontario Sires Stakes.”
Last year’s division champion Camystic closed well to finish second while Silver D Moon, the winner of the season opening Gold Series Final, survived a tough trip to earn the third-place finisher’s cheque. Elimination winners Corona Grande and Armbro Warranty finished fifth and sixth, while fan favourite Pacific Titan settled for seventh, just three and three-quarter lengths off the pace. The top six finishers all paced their miles faster than the 1:51 OSS record that Armbro Warranty lowered last week.
With the top choices finishing off the board the pay outs to those savvy enough to select the first three finishers were tremendous. Firstline Luck returned $43.90 to win, $20.70 to place and $8.00 to show. A pari-mutuel ticket with Camystic’s number 7 on it was worth $28.20 to place and $13.00 to show and Silver D Moon returned $4.30 with his third-place effort. The Firstline Luck-Camystic exactor was worth $1,074.30, adding Silver D Moon for the triactor produced a cool $6,088.20 return and adding Daylon Frontier for the superfecta paid $4,312.75.
The sophomore pacing colts now enjoy a seven week break in Ontario Sires Stakes action to allow them to compete in a series of other stake races, including the $600,000 Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs next weekend. The colts return to the provincial plate on Sept. 29 at Windsor Raceway for their fourth Gold Series event.
Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Woodbine Racetrack on Monday, Aug. 19 with Gold Elimination action for the two-year-old trotting colts. The Aug. 26 Gold Final for the freshman trotters is the last OSS event on the Rexdale oval’s 2002 schedule.