CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Excitement arrives at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday evening in the shape of Ontario’s best three-year-old pacing colts. Ready to battle in three Gold Eliminations, the colts will be going for broke as they attempt to secure a position in the rich season ending Super Final.
Joining the colts vying for a spot in the $300,000 season finale are a sizeable group making a late debut on the provincial stage, including So Lucky Hanover. The Camluck son earned his ticket into Monday’s contest with a 1:52.4 victory in an Oct. 7 overnight event, and co-owner Mike Saftic is hoping the youngster can improve on that from Post 4 in the second race.
“He won his last start in 1:52.4 so Garth (Gordon) thought it might be worth giving him a shot,” says the Campbellville resident. “He was rough in the turns last week so we had a little work done on him. If he is moving better around the last turn he should be able to pace in 1:51 or so.”
Saftic and partner Cyril Hayes of Burlington acquired the colt at the 2001 Harrisburg Yearling Sale and waited until this February before their US$30,000 investment saw a starting gate. After struggling through the first two months of his career trainer Garth Gordon opted to give the gelding a two month sabbatical and since his return to the racing game in mid-June, the pacer has improved significantly.
“He was slow starting off. He struggled in the maidens,” says Saftic, who also drives the gelding. “He just got good a couple of months ago.”
Through 18 starts So Lucky Hanover has recorded three wins, four seconds and two thirds for earnings of $35,870 and Saftic hopes the colt can add to that tally in Monday’s $42,874 skirmish.
“He’s got real good gate speed. He leaves as good as any horse I’ve driven,” says the veteran reinsman. “So hopefully we can get positioned and then suck along and get a cheque.”
Among the colts that So Lucky Hanover will face on Monday are Sept. 28 Gold Elimination winner Stonebridge Premio from Post 1 and Little Brown Jug runner-up Make It Brief from Post 7.
Other headliners in Monday’s event include reigning Gold Final champion Boulder Creek from Post 7 in the sixth race, division leader HBFS Storm from Post 2 in Race 4 and $1.2 million winner Sir Luck from Post 1 in the fourth race.
The top three finishers from each elimination, plus one fourth-place finisher selected by random draw, will return to Mohawk Racetrack for the last $130,000 Gold Final of their careers on Monday, Oct. 20. The top 10 point earners from the five regular season Gold Series events will then have an opportunity to return to Mohawk on Nov. 8 for their $300,000 Super Final.
Mohawk’s first race roars in behind the starting gate at 7:40 pm on Monday, with the three-year-old pacing colts going head-to-head in Races 2, 4, and 6.