GLOUCESTER, ON — Fresh off a track record in last week’s elimination, and with the advantage of Post 1 for Thursday’s Gold Final, Isle Of Patmos is the hands down favourite in Rideau Carleton Raceway’s last Ontario Sires Stakes event of the season.

“The rail is never a disadvantage,” says driver Luc Ouellette. “He’s got a lot of gate speed, so the three or four would have been just as good, but I am very happy with the rail.”

Ouellette piloted two-year-old pacing colt Isle Of Patmos to the 1:52.3 track record from Post 5 in the elimination, powering straight to the front and laying down fractions of :27.4, :56.3 and 1:24.1 before sailing under the wire four and a half lengths ahead of Astronomical. And with the inside post, the Campbellville resident says Rideau Carleton fans can expect to see a similar effort from the Astreos son on Thursday.

“Most of the time he is so much the best that I like to have him in front to keep him out of trouble,” says the top reinsman. “If you get away second or third you know somebody is going to flush you first over, so I’d rather have him control the race.”

Ouellette has driven the colt three times for trainer Mark Capone, scored two wins and been impressed with the young pacer’s power and ability over both five and seven-eighths mile racetracks.

“He was very, very good the other night. I have raced him three times and he was good all three times. The one time he just had bad racing luck,” says the driver. “He is a big horse, a very big and powerful horse, and he navigates good on any size track.”

Through nine starts Isle Of Patmos has recorded four wins, one second, two thirds and earnings of $179,566 for owners Peter Heffering of Port Perry, David Scharf of New York, NY, Jerry Silva of Bellmore, NY and Sampson Street Stables of Old Forge, PA. The group offered up $100,000 US for the well bred colt at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.

Ouellette also drove the other elimination winner last weekend and expects Make My Day to be a threat in the $130,000 Final from Post 5.

“He’s a very nice colt,” says Ouellette. “That horse could step up and go a big mile, but he doesn’t navigate the turns as good as the colt I am driving.”

Mario Baillargeon will step into the race bike behind Make My Day this week on behalf of trainer Duane Marfisi and owners Heffering, Dr. Michael Wilson of Rockwood, Banjo Farms of Toronto and WCB Racing Stable of Bordentown, NJ.

The freshman pacing colts square off in Race 9 on Rideau Carleton Raceway’s Thursday evening program, which gets under way at 6:30 pm. The $130,000 Gold Final puts the finishing touches on another outstanding season of Ontario Sires Stakes racing at the Gloucester oval.