WINDSOR, ON — Priceless Gem scored a major upset in the three-year-old trotting colt ranks on Sunday night when he captured a Gold Series Elimination at Windsor Raceway. Not only did the Mr Lavec son best favourite Duke Of York, he did it in stellar fashion, stopping the clock in a track record 1:55.
Windsor Raceway’s former 1:56 track record was set by great OSS competitor Armbro Leader in 1993 and was the longest standing record at the five-eighths mile oval. The clocking also tied the all-time Ontario Sires Stakes record for three-year-old trotting colts on a five-eighths mile track, set by Woodman at Mohawk Racetrack in 1994.
Starting from Post 6 Priceless Gem and driver Ray Schnittker fired straight to the front of the six-horse field and trotted through fractions of :28, :57.3 and 1:52.4 before seeing a challenge from favourite Duke Of York. As the colts turned for home Duke Of York went off stride, in a carbon copy imitation of his last Ontario Sires Stakes start, and Priceless Gem pulled away to the four and three-quarter length track record triumph.
Dream Lavec landed in second spot and Duke Of York finished third, but was placed back to fourth because of the break through the stretch. Visualize profited from Duke Of York’s mistake, moving into the third-place spot. The top four finishers advance to the $130,000 Final next weekend and fifth-placed finisher Rotation could also return to Windsor for the Final through luck of the draw.
Schnittker shares ownership on Priceless Gem with Seal Stable and Kelks Inc., all of New York. Jennifer Sjoberg trains the colt, who lowered his personal best by almost two seconds with the win, his third of the season.
The first elimination, clocked in a more sedate 1:58.1, went to favourites Balagar and trainer-driver Rick Zeron. The duo fired off the wings from Post 3 and led the field through fractions of :28.2, :59.3 and 1:29.4 en route to the half length win over Amnesiac and Semper Fi Hall. Cyclone Artie also advanced to the July 7 Final while fifth-placed Pokeman Kid will have to wait and see if his name is drawn out of the hat before making any travel arrangements.
Zeron trains Balagar for Dream With Me Stable of Caledon East and Gaetan Bono of Laval, QC. The win was the Balanced Image colt’s fourth in six 2002 starts and his second in Gold Series Elimination action.
Of the nine colts who will return to Windsor Raceway next weekend for their second Gold Series Final, six are sons of top Ontario sire Balanced Image and three are sons of relative newcomer to the OSS scene Mr Lavec. In fact only one of the 12 Gold Elimiantion contestants hailed from a different sire line.