DUNDAS, ON — When the two-year-old trotting colts return to Flamboro Downs on Wednesday, trainer Paul Shakes will be sending a pair of talented Angus Hall sons after a share of the $130,000 Gold Final purse.
Disturbed earned his way into the Gold Final with an impressive wire-to-wire victory from Post 7 in last week’s elimination round. Regular driver Doug Brown will be back in the race bike from Post 5 in Wednesday’s ninth race, but Shakes says the pair won’t necessarily be following the same strategy.
“He can leave the gate very well. He’s a bit like Meadowview Sunny that way, he can dominate a race in a hurry,” says Shakes, referring to the trotter he conditioned to an Ontario Sires Stakes division leading season last year. “But he can race both ways. He shows that he’s led in every start, but we alternate training a horse on the lead and from behind.”
Although the colt logged the second fastest win of the four eliminations, Shakes notes that he was never pressured and finished the 2:04.4 mile well within himself.
“When he does get the lead, going to the quarter he really relaxes. You could almost slow him to a walk he’s so relaxed,” says the Stayner resident, who trains Disturbed for breeder Les Fuller of Sunderland. “When someone comes to challenge though, he’s ready. The more he’s challenged, the more he’ll dig in.”
Among the challengers on Wednesday night will be Angus Scot, who drew into the race when division winners Wake Up And Drive and Odee Scot were not entered for the Final. The colt will start from Post 1 on Wednesday, with veteran reinsman Dave Wall taking over driving duties.
Angus Scot finished third in the fastest mile of the elimination round, a 2:03.2 effort by Wake Up And Drive, after making a brief break at the top of the stretch. Shakes says the young trotter struggled with his footing over the Dundas half-mile and is hoping a few minor adjustments will help the colt out in the Final.
“He wasn’t the same as he was at Mohawk (June 21). He’s such a good gaited colt, but he couldn’t grab the track at all. He was lost from the start,” says Shakes. “Watching it live it didn’t look as bad as on the replay. On the replay he looked like he was in beach sand.
“Now that we know we’re in, we’ll have to make some adjustments. I don’t like to get too drastic with a two-year-old in terms of shoeing, but we’ll change a couple of things.”
Shakes shares ownership on Angus Scot with Antonio Tangreda of Kettleby. The partners acquired the son of Angus Hall and Well Cast for $20,000 at last fall’s Canadian Classic Yearling Sale.
Elimination winner Coventry will be among the colts Shakes will have an eye on when the gate swings away on Wednesday. The Mr Lavec son and Doug Ackerman will start from Post 6 where they hope the young trotter can continue to follow in the footsteps of siblings like $200,744 winner TW Kate. Ackerman, who makes his home in Warren, MI bred, owns, trains and drives Coventry.
Flamboro Downs’s first race parades onto the half-mile oval at 2:45 pm Wednesday and the two-year-old trotting colts will make their Gold Final debut in Race 9.