SARNIA — On Thursday evening Hiawatha Horse Park will host a pair of Gold Series Eliminations for the aristocrats of the Ontario Sires Stakes program, and trainer Jim Ainsworth is hoping Major Memory can find his niche among the elite.
The three-year-old pacing gelding makes his Ontario Sires Stakes debut from Post 8 in the second elimination and although Ainsworth would have preferred a post closer to the rail he was pleased to see his charge draw into a different division than last year’s bearcats Sir Luck and Boulder Creek.
“It looks like he drew the right division,” says the Sarnia resident. “I like our chances. He seems to be at the top of his game right now.”
Major Memory heads into Thursday’s battle with an impressive early season resume of five wins and two seconds in 10 starts and a personal best 1:54 taken at Mohawk Racetrack on April 29.
“He’s got a ton of speed,” says the veteran trainer-driver. “He’s as fast as any horse I’ve raced, but he’s not the soundest horse, and he’s not the smartest either.
“He’s not one you can have somebody climb up on and just say, “Send him.” He’d end up making a break or something. You have to drive him once or twice to get a feel for him.”
Chris Christoforou has been aboard the gelding for most of his early season successes and Ainsworth hopes the talented reinsman will be available on Thursday.
“He drove Maddy Girl as a two-year-old and he did such a wonderful job, any time I take one to Toronto I put Chris down, and hopefully I win the lottery and he drives them,” says Ainsworth. “He’s so easy on them, yet he gets all he can, and that’s so important for young horses. I don’t think Major Memory could take many hard trips. We’re lucky to have Chris drive him.”
Ainsworth’s father Larry of Petrolia, Steve Calhoun and Michael Lindley of Chatham and William Boden of Vancouver, BC share ownership on Major Memory, a $42,000 yearling purchase who started just once at two before being sidelined by an injury.
Among the colts Major Memory will be stalking in the tenth race are four from the powerful Bill Robinson stable — Terrific Gord (Post 3), HBFS Storm (Post 4), Twin B Dynamic (Post 7) and Dreamfair Titan (Post 9). The gelding will also face Boulder Creek and Sir Luck’s stablemate Village Blitz from Post 10.
The Bill Budd trainees, who ran off with a total of $751,576 from the Gold Series last season, will star in the third race, Sir Luck from Post 1 and Boulder Creek from Post 8. The dynamic duo are fresh from the Meadowlands in New Jersey where Boulder Creek won two races, including a 1:50.3 score, and finished third by a head in the $275,000 Berry’s Creek Final on May 10, while Sir Luck amassed one second, one fourth and one seventh-place finish while battling a mild virus.
Cliff Siegel’s C and I Siegel Racing Stable Ltd. of Brooklyn, NY owns Boulder Creek and Sir Luck and acquired Village Blitz from the Carl Jamieson stable during the off season.
In addition to Budd’s superstars, the third race features three more starters from the 2002 Canadian Trainer of the Year’s string. Bill Robinson will harness Sly Deputy from Post 2, Mt Vernon Hanover from Post 4 and Keepen Lucky from Post 9.
Hiawatha Horse Park sends its first race to the post at 7:10 pm Thursday and the sensational three-year-old pacing colts will battle for Ontario Sires Stakes gold in Races 3 and 10. The top four finishers from each elimination, plus one fourth-place finisher drawn by lot, will return to Sarnia on Thursday, May 29 for their first $130,000 Gold Series Final.