OTTAWA, ON — Demonstrating his faith in two-year-old pacing colt Prodigal Seelster, North America’s leading reinsman Tim Tetrick made a trip from his New Jersey home to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening.

Tetrick, who has already piloted the winners of $13.6 million this season, made his first appearance in the race bike behind Prodigal Seelster on Aug. 21, steering the colt to an effortless victory in his Nassagaweya division at Mohawk Racetrack. One week later Tetrick and Prodigal Seelster teamed up to win their Metro Pace Elimination at Mohawk in a spectacular 1:50.

Prodigal Seelster came up sick for the $1 million Metro Pace Final on Sept. 4, finishing a disappointing ninth, and then ran into some tough racing luck in his Breeders Crown Elimination at Pocono Downs on Oct. 1, but Tetrick’s confidence in the Camluck colt has not wavered, as he proved in Sunday’s Gold Final.

Starting from Post 2, Tetrick had Prodigal Seelster moving alertly off the gate over a sloppy track rated two seconds slower than normal, and won an early foot race against Cam B Zipper, who started from Post 1. Rideau Carleton regular Denis St. Pierre also had Some Mach Some Win on fire early from Post 5, and was able to grab control of the lead at the top of the first turn.

Some Mach Some Win posted the :28.2 opening quarter, but Tetrick had no interest in following the fan’s fifth choice and sent Prodigal Seelster right back to the front. At the :58.2 half Prodigal Seelster had a two length lead, and his peers were never able to get much closer as Tetrick picked up the pace to the 1:26.3 three-quarters and then sailed down the stretch to a two and one-half length victory in 1:55.2.

Cam B Zipper closed well to earn the second-place share of the rich $170,000 purse, edging out Some Mach Some Win, who was narrowly ahead of Twin B Legend. Prodigal Seelster’s stablemate Watermelonwine rounded out the tightly bunched cheque earners in fifth.

Tetrick engineered Prodigal Seelster’s fifth victory for trainer David Menary of Cheltenham, ON, whose faith in the colt has also been unwavering. The trainer’s father Larry Menary of Cheltenham, ON, Denis Breton of Welland, ON, Kenneth Ewen of Georgetown, ON and Double Or Nothing Stables of Hamilton, ON share ownership on the gifted youngster, who has earned $329,455 through nine starts this season.

Sunday’s victory boosted Prodigal Seelster’s Gold Series point total to 76, putting him among the top 10 point earners after five regular season events, and giving him the opportunity to compete in the season ending $300,000 Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Nov. 13. The colt is also eligible to the Governors Cup at Woodbine, with eliminations slated for Oct. 30 and the $820,000 (estimated) final going postward on Nov. 6.

Prodigal Seelster’s victory brought the curtain down on Rideau Carleton Raceway’s 2010 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which saw the Ottawa oval play host to five Grassroots and five Gold Series events.

For complete results click: Rideau Carleton Raceway Results — Oct. 24, 2010