DUNDAS, ON — Flamboro Downs fans were treated to a pair of outstanding Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Finals on Sunday night leading up to the $567,000 Confederation Cup.
Milton resident Ben Wallace kick started a successful evening when two-year-old pacing colt Zooka stepped off a convincing victory in the first $130,000 Gold Final.
With regular reinsman Mario Baillargeon in the race bike, the Astreos colt stalked fan favourite Must Be Matt through fractions of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:25.1 and then fired out in the stretch to record a one length victory in 1:55.1. Must Be Matt settled for second and hard-knocking Silent Swing picked up the third-place cheque off a trip up the outside.
Wallace and James Millier of Dorchester own elimination winner Zooka, who was a $24,000 purchase at last fall’s Canadian Classic Yearling Sale. The son of $183,898 winner Twin B Keyko was making his second appearance in the winner’s circle in five starts and boosted his earnings to $172,603.
Three races later Paul Walker guided Samuel Oaks to a second straight Gold Final title with an impressive effort. Leaving from Post 5, Walker settled the Angus Hall son in fourth spot through a :28.4 opening quarter by Its A Fact Jack. As the pacesetter slowed things down heading to the 1:00 half, Walker sent Samuel Oaks after the lead and the colt moved easily to the front heading to the 1:28.4 three-quarters then held off Its A Fact Jack and elimination winner Loose Change Louie for the 1:59.1 victory.
Walker shares ownership on Samuel Oaks, who also captured his elimination last week, with Carscot Stables of Toronto. The win, the colt’s sixth in 10 starts, pushed his lifetime earnings to $229,681 and made him the richest member of a high performance family that includes $225,949 winner Tiff Tuff Tag. The quarter length victory also moved Samuel Oaks to the top of the division standings, giving him a total of 200 points.
Victor Bielik of Paris bred both Samuel Oaks and third-place finisher Loose Change Louie.
A pair of Ontario-sired colts, Gold Series division leaders Armbro Brando and Armbro Balmoral, earned their way out of the elimination round into the rich Confederation Cup Final and Armbro Balmoral wrapped up Wallace’s evening with a solid runner-up finish to Sparkler in the 1:53.1 mile.
Wallace trains Camluck colt Armbro Balmoral for Barnett Zimmerman LLC of Deerfield, IL. The reigning Gold Final champion boosted his lifetime earnings to $491,305 with his runner-up finishes to Sparkler in the elimination and Final of the $567,000 Confederation Cup.
Ontario’s talented two-year-old pacing colts do not return to Gold Series action until Oct. 1 and the sophomore trotting colts wrap up their Gold season on Oct. 2. Armbro Balmoral and his peers resume their Ontario Sires Stakes rivalry on Oct. 2.
Flamboro Downs also has a break in OSS action, hosting the final two-year-old trotting colt Gold Series event on Oct. 30 and Nov. 5.