DUNDAS, ON — Winning Breed chose the perfect day to step up and claim his first Gold Series win when he captured the $130,000 Gold Final at Flamboro Downs on Friday.
The three-year-old pacing colt had been a winner in Grassroots action earlier this spring and finished second in his Gold Elimination at the Dundas oval last weekend, but Friday’s 1:54.4 triumph was the first time he had been draped in Gold Series glory.
The Albert Albert son and driver Reg Gassien fired off the gate from Post 3 in the Final and took the colts to a :27.3 opening quarter before passing the lead over to elimination winner HBFS Storm who hit the half in :57.2. Rolling by the 1:25.1 three-quarter pole favourites Famous Seelster and Mike Saftic reached the front end after sitting on the outside throughout the early stages of the mile.
As the colts turned for home Famous Seelster was on top by a quarter length, HBFS Storm was nipping at his heels in second and Winning Breed was three lengths to the rear. However, when Gassien reached for the gas pedal Winning Breed responded with a powerful finishing kick that propelled him by the leaders to a one length victory. HBFS Storm hung on for second, while Famous Seelster’s long route around the half-mile oval, rated one second slower than normal due to the rain, resulted in a narrow decision for third over a fast closing Twin B Dynamic.
Mike Wade trains Winning Breed for owners Betty Roberts of Little Britain, Bruce Woodrow of Woodville and E. and G. Livestock Ltd. of Milton. Flamboro Downs fans sent the talented youngster off as their second choice and earned $8.30 on a win ticket, $3.30 for a place voucher and $2.20 to show. Third choice HBFS Storm returned $4.50 to place and $2.60 to show while the heavily favoured Famous Seelster paid just $2.10 to show.
The exactor returned $63.30 and the triactor was worth $105.20.
Although the victory was Winning Breed’s first in a Gold Series, the colt is no stranger to the winner’s circle, having posted a record of eight wins, two seconds and one third in 15 starts this season. Friday’s triumph pushed the pacer’s lifetime earnings to $149,261, not a bad return for a $24,000 investment at the 2001 Forest City Yearling Sale.
Bred by Glengate Farms of Campbellville, Winning Breed is a full-brother to $104,459 winner Easy Cambination and one of just four foals from dam Winning Cambination, who died earlier this year.
The colt will have an opportunity to defend his Gold Final title on Aug. 2 at Woodbine Racetrack when the sophomore pacers compete in their third Gold Series. Before that many of the colts will turn their attention toward capturing a national title in the Canadian Breeders Championships at Woodbine on July 19.
Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Flamboro Downs on Saturday, Aug. 9 with Gold Eliminations for the three-year-old trotting colts, who will compete in their $130,000 Gold Final on the Confederation Cup program Sunday, Aug. 17.