CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Mohawk Racetrack fans roared as Warrawee Needy rocketed around the Campbellville oval to an Ontario Sires Stakes record on Saturday night, but the sound made by the three-year-old pacing colt’s connections was more like a sigh of relief.

The winner of nine of 12 starts last season, feted with Ontario Sires Stakes and O’Brien Award honours, Warrawee Needy struggled mightily through the first four months of his sophomore campaign. The son of E Dees Cam did not find his way back to the winner’s circle until Sept. 1 in an overnight event at Mohawk.

The colt picked up a second victory in another overnight contest on Sept. 15 and trainer Carl Jamieson of Rockwood and his partners Thomas Kyron of Toronto, Dr. Michael Wilson of Rockwood, and Floyd Marshall of Jarvis allowed themselves a faint glimmer of hope heading into Saturday’s $130,000 Gold Final.

With regular reinsman Jody Jamieson of Moffat in the race bike, Warrawee Needy fired away from Post 7 and through fractions of :26.2, :54.2 and 1:21.3 the colt looked like his old indomitable self. I Found My Beach sat in the pocket, two lengths behind the pacesetter, through much of the mile but when Warrawee Needy kicked for home he left his rivals behind, reaching the finish five lengths the best in an Ontario Sires Stakes record 1:48.4.

Mel Mara closed hard to earn the second-place share of the $130,000 Gold Final purse and I Found My Beach was third.

The mile shaved one-fifth of a second off the former Ontario Sires Stakes speed record of 1:49 set by Fast Pay in the summer of 2009 and established a new personal best for Warrawee Needy. The colt now has a sophomore record of three wins, four seconds and one third in 12 starts for earnings of $188,825.

Warrawee Needy and Jamieson have one opportunity to defend their Gold Final title before the regular season wraps up, and the pair will face undefeated Michaels Power over the Flamboro Downs oval on Oct. 5 and 12. Michaels Power skipped the fourth Gold Series in favour of the historic Little Brown Jug, which he captured in a world record 1:50 on Sept. 20.

In addition to the $130,000 Gold Final, Mohawk Racetrack fans were also treated to two Gold Eliminations for the two-year-old pacing colts.

Up Up And Out claimed the first elimination with an impressive come from behind effort that saw him dodge breaker Southwind Terror and circle around to a seven and one-quarter length victory in a personal best 1:53. Reigning Gold Final champion Windsong Jack finished second and fan favourite Mach Pride was third. Fourth and fifth-place finishers Bad Boy Hill and OK Fantastic also advanced to next Friday’s Gold Final.

Doug McNair engineered Up Up And Out’s third lifetime victory for trainer Ervin Miller of New Egypt, NJ and his partner Roger Hammer of Bedford, PA. Through 10 starts the Jeremes Jet son has three wins and two seconds for earnings of $53,400.

The other elimination trophy went home with Mach It So, who also employed a come from behind strategy to post his first Gold Series victory.

Slight Touch rang up fractions of :27.1, :55.4 and 1:24.2, but when driver Jody Jamieson tipped Mach It So out three wide and gave the gelding a look at the leader, the youngster shifted into overdrive. Closing from eighth with a :27 final quarter, Mach It So hit the wire one and three-quarter lengths on top in a personal best 1:52.3.

Mach Set Go also blasted home to be second, leaving fan favourite Tarpon Hanover to settle for third. Pacesetter Slight Touch held on to be fourth and Glammit completed the qualifiers for next week’s Gold Final.

Mach It So, who was making just his third lifetime start, is trained by Richard “Nifty” Norman for Bamond Racing LLC of Brick, NJ. The Mach Three son also has one win and one second in overnight action at Mohawk to his credit.

The top five finishers from each elimination will return to Mohawk Racetrack for the second last Gold Final on the schedule next Friday, Sept. 28. The complete line up for the final is as follows:

$130,000 Gold Final — Friday, Sept. 28 at Mohawk Racetrack

Post 1 Mach Set Go

Post 2 Glammit

Post 3 Windsong Jack

Post 4 Tarpon Hanover

Post 5 Bad Boy Hill

Post 6 OK Fantastic

Post 7 Up Up And Out

Post 8 Mach It So

Post 9 Mach Pride

Post 10 Slight Touch

Also Eligible 1 Champagne Phil

For complete results please go to Mohawk Racetrack Results — September 22, 2012