SARNIA — Hiawatha Horse Park fans were treated to an outstanding battle in Thursday night’s $130,000 Gold Series Final that saw last year’s recipient of the Two-year-old Pacing Colt of the Year award make his first trip to the winner’s circle this season.
Using a come-from-behind strategy rarely glimpsed during last year’s championship campaign, Sir Luck and driver Mike Saftic eased off the starting gate from Post 2 and sat sixth throughout the mile. Heading around the final turn Saftic shifted his colt into gear and the Camluck son responded with a sharp finishing kick that kept him a quarter length ahead of the equally hard driving Mt Vernon Hanover at the wire.
The pair tripped the teletimer at 1:53.2, with Canadian Outlaw hot on their heels in third. The other elimination winner, fan favourite HBFs Storm, settled for fourth after taking control just past the :26.4 opening quarter and the leading the field through a :55.3 half and 1:23.3 third-quarter.
The win was Sir Luck’s first this year after a lacklustre start to his sophomore campaign that saw him finish second and seventh in the elimination and Final of the Berrys Creek at the Meadowlands and get reeled in through the stretch of last week’s elimination to finish third.
“I think he was homesick. He’s a very delicate horse,” said trainer Bill Budd before the race. “(Meadowlands trainer) Mark Harder did a good job with him, but that USA takes a toll on them believe me.”
Budd added that the colt finally regained some of his usual attitude around the barn this week, keeping handlers on their toes with his attempts to sample their flesh.
Cliff Siegel’s C and I Siegel Racing Stable Ltd. of Brooklyn, NY owns Sir Luck, who improved his 2003 record to one win, one second and two thirds in five starts for earnings of $85,897. Last year the colt became the first Ontario-sired two-year-old to cap the million dollar mark in earnings, finishing the season with 10 wins, four seconds, two thirds and $1.13 million in the bank through 17 starts.
Fans who remained loyal to Sir Luck earned $6.60 to win, $4.50 to place and $5.20 to show for their faith, while fourth-choice Mt Vernon Hanover returned $9.70 and $8.70 and sixth choice Canadian Outlaw’s third-place effort was worth $4.30. The Sir Luck, Mt Vernon Hanover exactor paid $60.20 and adding Canadian Outlaw into the mix delivered a $627.50 triactor. Fans wise enough to select the 2 – 4 – 6 – 1 superfecta earned $588.70.
Trainer Bill Robinson’s four-horse entry finished second, fourth, seventh (Twin B Dynamic) and ninth (Keepen Lucky).
The three-year-old pacing colts make their next Gold Series start on July 4 at Flamboro Downs while the excitement of the Ontario Sires Stakes program returns to Hiawatha Horse Park on Thursday, June 19 with Grassroots action for the three-year-old pacing fillies.