WINDSOR, ON — All eyes will be focused on the three-year-old trotting colts when they return to Windsor Raceway Sunday evening for their $130,000 Gold Final. Several of the Ontario-sired stars are eligible to the Hambletonian and with eliminations for trotting’s holy grail rapidly approaching it is decision time.

With his track and Ontario Sires Stakes record equalling 1:55 performance in last weekend’s elimination, Priceless Gem will be one of the favourites for Sunday’s Gold Final and trainer Jennifer Lynne Sjoberg expects him to make the trip to the Meadowlands for the Hambletonian eliminations July 27.

“You don’t want to count your eggs before they’re hatched,” says the Campbellville resident. “But I hope he races good and gets a chance to go to the Hambletonian.”

Sjoberg trains the Mr Lavec son for driver Ray Schnittker of Campbell Hall, NY, Seal Stable of Mattituck ,NY and Kelks Inc. of Lockport, NY. Schnittker will make the trip north again on Sunday and steer the leggy colt from Post 2 in their quest for a first Ontario Sires Stakes victory.

With a limited freshman campaign and just 10 starts this season Sjoberg says that Priceless Gem is gaining the confidence necessary to win at the Gold level.

“He’s just getting stronger all the time, he’s not so green now. Hopefully he can keep going forward,” she says. “He’s real sweet, but he’s not the smartest horse. He’s pretty happy-go-lucky.”

While Sjoberg expects Priceless Gem to put together another quality performance at Windsor on Sunday she has trained enough trotters to know that there is no such thing as a sure thing.

“You’re never a shoe-in, you’re never guaranteed a winner. You don’t want to count your eggs before they’re hatched in this business,” she says with a chuckle. “If I’ve done everything for him that I can in a day, then that’s enough. I just like to keep it low key and have fun with my horses.”

John Bax is adopting a similar approach with Duke Of York, who made a break turning for home in the elimination round, the second break he’s made in OSS competition this season.

“I’m not sure whether I can put my finger on it, whether he’s touching, or it’s breathing or what it is,” says the Peterborough horseman. “I’m going to put a set of trotting boots and a set of brace bandages on him and see what happens Sunday night. I think the worst thing you can do is start making a lot of changes. I’m trying not to get too excited.”

Bax, who trains the Balanced Image son for Al Libfeld of Pickering, Sam Goldband of Toronto and Marvin Katz of Toronto, thought he had the problem solved after the colt made his first break in the June 10 Gold Final at Woodbine Racetrack. He changed Duke Of York’s shoes back to the style he started the season with and the colt delivered a 1:55.4 victory in a division of the Colonial Stake at Woodbine on June 21, but he was back to his old tricks last weekend.

Regular driver Paul MacDonell will be back in the race bike on Sunday and the duo will attempt to sort things out from Post 9 in the eleventh race.

Windsor Raceway’s first race parades before the grandstand at 6:30 pm on Sunday and the sophomore trotting colts will take another shot at breaking the track record in Race 11.