Eleven sophomore colt and gelding pacers contested a pair of Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack with the favourites delivering on their pari-mutuel promises
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In the first OSS Gold elimination, it was the Jack Darling-trained Twin B Legend who found his way to the winner’s circle for the third time this year in six outings.
Celebrity Citation (Mark MacDonald) was first to the quarter-pole in :26.4, but he made a break before the :55.2 half leaving Machal Jackson (J.R. Plante) to inherit the lead.
Driver Paul MacDonell pulled the 4-5 favourite, Twin B Legend, from the pocket and cleared to the front before the final turn. The pair hit the three-quarters in 1.22.2 and got under the wire in a career-best clocking of 1:49.4, one and three-quarter lengths over Mystician (Randy Waples). Celebrity Citation came back on for third.
“He was really good, strong right to the wire,” said MacDonell following the victory. “[Celebrity Citation] made a break in the backstretch, which caused a little interference. I wasn’t sure what was happening at that point, but once he got around that he sailed right on.
“Halfway down the lane it didn’t look like he [Mystician] was gaining on him so at that point I was pretty confident,” he added.
Going into the final, the Guelph, Ont. resident feels the bay gelding is one of the legitimate ones in the field.
The three-year-old son of Mach Three-What An Attitude has a lifetime record of 6-4-0 in 17 starts and career earnings of $214,013 for owner Jack Darling Stables Ltd of Cambridge, Ont.
Twin B Legend paid $3.60 to win.
The David Menary-trained and Scott Zeron-driven Prodigal Seelster captured the second elimination, notching his second victory of the season in eight outings.
Prodigal Seelster took the field to a :26.3 opening panel, but a parked out Bullet Speed (Randy Waples) made a bid for the front and cleared before the half, holding the lead through fractions of :54.3 and 1:23.3.
Into the stretch, Zeron angled Prodigal Seelster from the pocket to re-take the lead to win by a head, stopping the teletimer in 1:50.4. Bullet Speed finished second and Cam B Zipper (Mark MacDonald) was third.
“I was really happy with him,” said Zeron, following the win. “Last week I power-moved him to the front. He just got a little weak late on me, but he does have that burst of speed. I was able to keep that sitting in the two-hole and use it just in the last eighth of a mile and he gave me everything that he had.”
The Oakville, Ont. resident feels good heading into next week’s final.
“The other elimination winner, Twin B Legend, raced really, really well and we were a whole second off of his time, but I am really confident in my horse,” said Zeron. “He went across the wire with some left.”
The son of Camluck-Platinum Seelster has a lifetime record of 8-1-3 in 18 starts and boasts career earnings of $600,477 for owners Larry Menary, Denis Breton, Kenneth Ewen and Double Or Nothing Stables.
The three-year-old bay paid $4.50 to win.
The top 10 finishers advance to the $130,000 OSS Gold Final on Saturday, August 6. Here’s how the glamour boys will line up behind the gate for the rich final:
1. Twin B Legend
2. Prodigal Seelster
3. Thats The Life
4. Celebrity Citation
5. Mach Of Ballykeel
6. Mystician
7. Machal Jackson
8. Cam B Zipper
9. Drain Daddy
10. Bullet Speed
AE. Calgary Seelster
After winning the $500,000 Delvin Miller Adios earlier in the day at The Meadows with Alsace Hanover, Tony O'Sullivan enjoyed a training triple during the 11-race card at Mohawk with Seriously, Aled Hanover and Preferred Pace winner Dalhousie Dave, who took a new mark of 1:49.4. Scott Zeron drove all three O'Sullivan starters.
The Bob Young-trained Piece Of The Rock converted from the pocket to win the Preferred-2 Pace in a career-best 1:50.3 with Paul MacDonell at the lines.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from WEG)