FRASERVILLE, ON — Smarty Jims delivered an impressive effort at Kawartha Downs on Thursday evening to capture the first $130,000 Gold Final of the season for the two-year-old trotting colts.
Trotting specialist Trevor Ritchie piloted Smarty Jims from Post 6 on Thursday and hustled the young trotter off the starting gate and into second spot on the rail. On the front end, Oratorio took the field of nine youngsters to a :29.4 opening quarter and then yielded to elimination winner Meadowview Matty heading past the 1:00.4 half.
As Meadowview Matty clicked off a 1:30.3 three-quarters, Ritchie sat patiently on the rail with Smarty Jims, four lengths behind the leader in fifth. Turning for home the pair were even father back, but once Smarty Jims found racing room the Striking Sahbra son kicked it into high gear and sprinted home to a 2:00 victory.
Blaze Of Sonshine, who was also an elimination winner, survived a tough trip up the outside to finish half a length back in second and Meadowview Matty stayed game for third.
Christopher Beaver trains Smarty Jims for breeder Lynne Foley of Salvisa, KY and her partners Mimi Lenenberg of Pittsburgh, PA and Clare Semers of S. Pal Beach, FL. The half-brother to $135,006 winner Bacchus Marsh was a 2:01.2 winner in last week’s elimination round and Kawartha Downs fans were impressed enough with his effort in the preliminaries they sent him off as the favourite on Thursday, slightly ahead of Meadowview Matty.
The fan favourite returned $5.40 to win, $3.90 to place and $2.90 to show. Fifth choice Blaze Of Sonshine delivered a $5.60 place pay out and a $4.20 show dividend, while Meadowview Matty paid $2.80 to show. The exactor was worth $60.20, the elimination winner triactor returned $159.70 and adding fourth-place finisher Beef Up to the top three colts for a superfecta play netted fans $982.60.
Smarty Jims will defend his Gold Final title on July 13 at Mohawk Racetrack, while the Ontario Sires Stakes program takes a brief hiatus from Kawartha Downs, returning Tuesday, Aug. 1 with Grassroots action for the two-year-old trotting fillies.
For complete entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rkdfth.html#N5