The field is set for the 2011 Upper Canada Cup Final at Georgian Downs after three impressive elimination tilts on Saturday night
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In the first $25,000 elimination, Drain Daddy and driver Rick Zeron didn't disappoint their backers with an impressive off-the-pace victory. As the wings of the gate folded, Jody Jamieson hustled Mach It Big out to command from the rail position in a brisk :26.2, while feeling pressure from Dr Dew (J.R. Plante). That tandem clicked off a spicy :53.4 half before Dr Dew was done, his steps started to shorten and he faded. That opened up the outer flow much to the liking of Live And Learn (Billy Davis, Jr.), who tipped from third to launch a backstretch brush on the pacesetter while also providing cover to Drain Daddy.
After the hot 1:21.2 third station, the advantage looked in favour of a closer. Zeron answered that call, tipping into the three path down the lane and confidently brushing past the early leaders to trip the timer a length and a quarter to the good in a lifetime best 1:50.4. Mach It Big stayed game to grab the place with show honours to Live And Learn.
Trained by Murray Brethour, and owned by the estate of Stephen Scarff of Halifax, N.S., Drain Daddy (Mach Three - Boy Meets Girl) has now won back-to-back races after starting the campaign with three consecutive second-place finishes. Drain Daddy is listed at 65-1 in the 2011 Trot North America Cup Spring Book.
The second elim provided some surprises as none of the three betting favourites hit the board. The fastest horse off the gate was 12-1 shot Grand Master (Randy Waples), who was quickly looped by Royal Will (Jamieson) through a :26.4 opener. First up to challenge in front of the grandstand and through the half-mile station was Just Asign To Me (Trevor Henry), with favoured A And Gs Express (Mark MacDonald) on his back as the half was reached in a sensible :55.1. Henry asked his charge for more speed down the backside and managed to get up the the leader's neck...but no further. Just Asign To Me started to falter as the third quarter flashed up in 1:23.3, and that forced A And Gs Express three-wide into the final turn.
Down the stretch, the backfield was unable to make ground on the leaders with Royal Will maintaining his margin on top. Grand Master tried a final rush from the pocket but it was too little, too late: Royal Will and Jamieson, by a length in a life's best 1:53.1 over Grand Master with Machal Jackson (Plante) using ground saving tactics to finish third.
Royal Will (Royal Mattjesty - Myriad) ended a ten-race losing skid with his Upper Canada Cup victory - just his second lifetime - for owner-trainer Ben Wallace of Milton and co-owner Thomas Taylor of Belle River, Ont.
The third elimination was expected to be a tussle between two of last year's top freshman: Mystician and Prodigal Seelster. They clashed, just not in the way most would expect.
With a pack of three colts heading for the front, The Platinum Guy (Anthony MacDonald) made the quickest forge of all and made the lead in a swift :26.2 first split. It was a short-lived lead as Jody Jamieson was out and moving with Mystician. On Jamieson's back was the favourite, Prodigal Seelster and Randy Waples. That duo was pacing up a storm briefly in the three path in front of the grandstand to make the top, and they did just before the :54.1 halfway point.
Rick Zeron started the outer flow with Some Mach Some Win, and that forced the hand of Joe Hudon with Mach Wheel. The pace picked up with the outer flow trying to get to Prodigal Seelster, who passed three-quarters in 1:22.4 with Mystician looming large in the pocket. Just before the top of the stretch, Mystician appeared to step on the wheel of Prodigal Seelster's racebike and made a break. Zeron then tipped off his cover to launch a bid on Prodigal Seester but under mild Waples urging Prodigal Seelster held off the late charge by a nose in 1:51.1. Jamieson was able to reset Mystician and recover to finish third.
Dave Menary, the winning trainer of the 2010 Upper Canada Cup with Haul Away, trains Prodigal Seelster (Camluck - Platinum Seelster) for Larry Menary of Cheltenham, Denis Breton of Welland, Kenneth Ewen of Georgetown and Double Or Nothing Stables of Hamilton, Ont. Last year's Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner, Prodigal Seelster now a winner of 7-of-11 starts in his career, will enter next Saturday's final as one of the heavy favourites. He's listed at 18-1 in Trot's North America Cup Spring Book.
After the third elimination, the draw was held for next week's final. The third edition of the Upper Canada Cup for Ontario-sired three-year-old colt pacers will go postward for a purse of $500,000 (Est.) on Saturday, May 28 at Georgian Downs.
2011 Upper Canada Cup Final (with elimination driver listed)
1. Grand Master (R. Waples)
2. Machal Jackson (J.R. Plante)
3. Some Mach Some Win (R. Zeron)
4. Mystician (J. Jamieson)
5. Mach It Big (J. Jamieson)
6. Prodigal Seelster (R. Waples)
7. Live And Learn (B. Davis. Jr.)
8. Royal Will (J. Jamieson)
9. Drain Daddy (R. Zeron)
AE1: Mach Wheel (J. Hudon)
AE2: Lifeoftheoldboy (A. MacDonald)
For results from Georgian's Saturday night card of harness racing, please click the following link: Saturday Results - Georgian Downs.