GLOUCESTER, ON — Ontario’s talented two-year-old trotting colts return to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Friday evening for their third $130,000 Gold Final.

First time starter McCarron delivered a fourth-place finish in last week’s Gold Elimination to earn a return trip to the nation’s capital and trainer Mark Steacy is hoping the colt can step things up another notch in the rich Final.

“He seems good this week, and hopefully he will be tighter again,” says the Lansdowne resident, who trains McCarron for David Reid of Glenburnie, Dr. Malcolm Man Son Hing of Nepean, David McDonald of Cornwall and A K Malik Stable of Ottawa. “He’s very, very green. That’s a disadvantage he has, most of the other horses have had three or four starts, but hopefully he can step it up this week.”

McCarron’s first tour around the Rideau Carleton oval was marred by early interference from a pair of horses making breaks on either side of him, and a three-wide trip around the final turn. Steacy, who also drives the Angus Hall son, is hoping that things will go a little easier for the colt this week.

“I pulled out behind Jimmy Takter’s horse (Borga Avin), but unfortunately he got tired in the last turn and I had to go three-wide around him,” recounts Steacy. “The horses down on the rail went up the inside and got the jump on me, and I couldn’t make up the ground.

“He’s got a good draw there this week,” continues the horseman. “It looks like the two better horses are in the one and two-hole. If I can get out behind them and follow them, things might be okay.”

Elimination winners Andiron Springs and Pizzazzed will start from Posts 1 and 2 in the Gold Final, and both colts left smartly off the starting gate last week. Steacy says that, in spite of his inexperience, McCarron has already demonstrated the kind of versatility that should allow him to take advantage of the post position draw.

“He’s pretty smart, he’s good on the gate, you can do pretty much whatever you want with him at this point,” says the trainer of last year’s Horse of the Year Majestic Son. “I hope he steps up again this week. He’ll be a bit of a long shot in there, so if he can grab a nice cheque I’ll be very happy with him.”

While looking forward to McCarron’s Gold Final debut on Friday, Steacy and his partners are also mourning the end of Majestic Son’s racing career. The group chose to retire the four-year-old trotter on Tuesday, Aug. 21 after veterinarian Dr. Terry Ruch discovered a splinter in the horse’s left-hind tibia bone. In six starts this season Majestic Son had recorded three wins and one second, but Steacy says the former Ontario Sires Stakes star had not been himself in his last few starts.

“That was kind of unfortunate,” admits Steacy. “He’s given us a lot of special moments, and we thought we could have a little more fun with him this year.”

While he is not looking to step into his famous stablemate’s shoes, McCarron will be attempting to prove he belongs among the most talented colts on the provincial circuit this Friday. The two-year-old trotting colts will battle in Race 7 on Rideau Carleton Raceway’s Aug. 24 program, with the first race getting under way at 6:30 pm.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/eridcffr.html#N7