North America Cup champion Betting Line makes his return to the Ontario Sires Stakes program on Saturday evening and if the talented three-year-old pacing colt can extend his four-race win streak one lucky Mohawk Racetrack fan could find themselves in the winner’s circle with a champion.
Trainer Casie Coleman of Cambridge, Ont. says the colt enjoyed an easy week following his June 18 North America Cup triumph and has been gearing back up for Saturday’s test.
“I gave him an easy week the week after the NA Cup. He just went about four or five miles a day jogging,” said Coleman, who shares ownership of the Bettors Delight colt with Ross Warriner and Mac Nichol of Burlington, and Christine Calhoun of Chatham, Ont. “Then I trained him up a couple trips on Tuesday and he’s in to go Saturday in the Gold.”
Betting Line and driver Jonathan Drury of Guelph, Ont. will start from Post 6 in the eighth race, which is the featured race for the Ontario Sires Stakes “Be A Winner” contest. Fans can place their “Be A Winner” ballot in the box representing Betting Line or one of his rivals (from the rail out) Carolina Hurricane, War N Munn, Gerries Sport, Nocturnal Bluechip, Cruise Patrol, Sintra and Piranha.
One ballot will be selected from each horse’s box and those “Be A Winner” finalists will be treated to an OSS t-shirt, ball cap and lanyard badge, and a $15 win-place-show wager on their chosen horse. After cheering their horses home the finalist representing the winning horse will be welcomed into the winner’s circle where they will have their picture taken with the horse and his connections and receive a trophy, an OSS jacket and golf shirt, and a $50 wagering voucher.
Should Betting Line prevail in his first OSS start of the season the lucky “Be A Winner” contestant could have a memorable souvenir of the colt’s sophomore campaign. Just the third Ontario Sired colt to win the North America Cup, Betting Line has stakes engagements on both sides of the border this season after racing exclusively in Ontario as a two-year-old.
“He actually has a three-week break after Saturday and then he’ll go to the Gold again — it’s at Mohawk again — and then after that he has two in the States. He’s invited to a race at Northfield Park, it’s called the Milstein (Memorial) I believe, and then he goes to Pocono Downs the following week for the (Battle of) Brandywine,” noted Coleman. “Then he comes home I believe there’s another Gold, the Simcoe and then the (Little Brown) Jug.
“Going his fifth start of the year in 1:47.4 there the other day, I think he’s definitely ranking right up there with my best ones I’ve had,” added Coleman, who also trained 2010 North America Cup winner Sportswriter. “We’ll see what he does as the season keeps progressing, but he’s pretty talented.”
Mohawk Racetrack’s Saturday evening program begins at 7:30 p.m. and the three-year-old pacing colts and geldings will make their second Gold Series starts in Races 6 and 8.
(OSS)
To view entries for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack.