ELORA, ON — A hot, humid Monday evening at Grand River Raceway was the perfect setting for record breaking action from some of Ontario’s finest two-year-olds.

Freshman trotting colts and pacing colts flexed their burgeoning racing muscles over the Elora oval in five Gold Series Eliminations and four eliminations for the Battle of Waterloo. The trotting colts were first out of the gate and in Race 7 Ernie B Earnest was the first to etch his name into the half-mile oval’s record books.

Leaving from the advantageous Post 1, driver Mark MacDonald sent Ernie B Earnest straight to the front and the gelding rolled through fractions of :29.2, 1:00 and 1:31.1 on his way to an unchallenged one length victory in 2:01. The mile shaved one-fifth of a second off the former two-year-old trotting colt record, set last summer by Ontario Sires Stakes heavyweight Majestic Son.

Australian Stock picked up the runner-up’s share of the $21,862 purse and reigning Gold Final champion Charlie Lavec saw his dreams of defending his title end with a third-place finish. Only the top two colts from each elimination will return to Grand River Raceway on the track’s popular Industry Day card next Monday, Aug. 7.

Norman Jones of Campbellville trains Ernie B Earnest for owner-breeder Robert Walsh of Toronto. The son of King Conch and $234,852 winner Lovers Image made his first trip to the winner’s circle with the win.

Two races after Ernie B Earnest lowered the freshman trotting colt speed standard, two-year-old pacing colt Warrawee Ideal and driver Jody Jamieson captured their Battle Of Waterloo elimination in a record setting 1:55.3. The mile eclipsed the 1:56 record Jamieson set winning the Battle Of Waterloo Final in 2004 with Banner Yankee.

Princeton resident Carl Jamieson trains Warrawee Ideal for his partners George Arthur Stable of Rockwood, Fred Brayford of Alliston and Robin Raine of Cumbria, ENG. The father and son duo also teamed up to capture the second Battle Of Waterloo elimination with Test Flight in 1:56.1, while the other eliminations winner went to Totally Excellent in 1:57.3 and You’ll Like It in 1:57.4.

The two-year-old trotting and pacing colts will star on Grand River Raceway’s Industry Day program on Monday, and Elmira resident George Zirnis came one step closer to his dream of winning a Gold Final on the highly regarded holiday Monday program when Dream On Ernie delivered a solid performance in the last Gold Elimination to finish second by a nose.

Zirnis and the Berndt Hanover son controlled the pace through fractions of :30.1, 1:02.1 and 1:32.2, but were nudged out for the 2:02.2 win by Paul Walker and Catch My Korvette. Libra Vita closed hard to finish one-quarter length back in third.

Walker trains Catch My Korvette for owner-breeder James MacLeod of Seaforth. The son of Korvette Hanover and Speed Belle was also a winner in the consolation at Mohawk Racetrack on July 20.

Beer Budget overcame the outside Post 8 to claim a victory in the first Gold Elimination on Monday. Driver Jody Jamieson hustled the Yankee Paco son off the gate into third as the colts swept by the :30.2 opening quarter, but the young reinsman was not content to sit and quickly had Beer Budget driving for the front.

In spite of touring by the 1:02.3 half and 1:33.1 three-quarters on the outside, Beer Budget had enough left in the tank to sprint home to a one and one-quarter length victory in 2:02.2. Fan favourite Lemon Drop and Baracay were promoted into second and third when pacesetter Telling Tales made a late break and interfered with their momentum in the stretch.

Christopher Beaver of Rockwood trains Beer Budget for his partner Johanna Beaver of Delaware, OH. The runner-up from the July 20 consolation made his first visit to the winner’s circle in four tries.

The other Gold Eliminations went to Evidence As in 2:02 and Free To Dance in 2:04.1. The top two colts from each elimination will return to Grand River Raceway on Monday, Aug. 7 for their third crack at a $130,000 Gold Final purse, lining up behind the starting gate as follows:

Post 1 Ernie B Earnest

Post 2 Australian Stock

Post 3 Relentless Duke

Post 4 Evidence As

Post 5 Catch My Korvette

Post 6 Beer Budget

Post 7 Dream on Ernie

Post 8 Lemon Drop

Post 9 Free To Dance

Post 10 Think Gold

AE1 Charlie Lavec

AE2 Baracay

AE3 Libra Vita

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rgrvrmo.html