CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — When the two-year-old trotting colts line up behind the gate at Mohawk Racetrack on Sunday evening trainer Chris Beaver does not expect to see Beer Budget among the favourites, in spite of his 2:00.1 elimination victory.
“I don’t really blame people for not giving him a lot of respect. He doesn’t really have the kind of pedigree to inspire it,” says the Rockwood resident with a chuckle. “I look at him as a great overachiever really. He doesn’t seem to be the most talented horse, but he works at it pretty good.”
Acquired for a pittance as a weanling to run with another youngster, Beer Budget has risen above his modest beginnings to earn $82,978 in 11 starts this season. In seven Gold Series outings he boasts two elimination victories, one second in elimination action and a third in the Aug. 7 Gold Final at Grand River Raceway, far exceeding the expectations of his trainer and his co-owner Johanna Beaver of Delaware, OH.
“I kind of thought of him as a Grassroots horse as he was training down,” admits the horseman. “He showed a bit of speed. He wasn’t real willing to show it, but it was there, so we just kept putting him in the Gold and he kept jumping up and getting a piece.”
Beaver says the son of Yankee Paco and Too Good For You has maintained his form and condition surprisingly well through the long Ontario Sires Stakes season, pointing to the Grand River Gold event as the only one that really tested the young trotter’s physical reserves.
“He’s in really good shape,” says the conditioner. “He kind of got roughed up a bit there when he raced a Grand River. He won the Gold Elimination and was third in the Final and after those two races there in the heat he was pretty worn out. He went off his feed a little and was sleeping a lot, but he snapped back pretty good.”
Beer Budget and driver Luc Ouellette will start from Post 3 in the $130,000 Gold Final on Sunday and Beaver says that is an ideal spot for the colt to ply his preferred racing style.
“He drew real good in the Final,” says Beaver. “He’s a better horse when he’s up into it, when he gets right into the race. That’s what Luc did with him (in the elimination) and it worked out.
“And he was in a little softer division and he likes that to,” adds the trainer wryly.
The other elimination winners, Laddie and Celtic Warrior, will start from Posts 6 and 8 respectively in Sunday’s fifth race. Mohawk Racetrack’s first race gets under way at 7 pm.
For complete entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/emohssu.html#N5