Heading into their third Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series event of the season at Flamboro Downs on Sunday, the two-year-old pacing colts and geldings required three $40,000 eliminations, in which Warrawee Needy lowered the stakes and track record.
Warrawee Needy set the bar high with his 1:53.3 winning effort in the first freshmen elimination, which lowered the stakes and track record. The time of the mile lowered Sir Luck and Nebupanezzar’s record for two-year-old male pacers by one-fifth of a second.
Rebounding from his only career loss, a third place finish in the Battle Of Waterloo, Warrawee Needy sat third through early fractions of :27.1 and :57.1 before Jody Jamieson sent the son of E Dees Cam-Great Memories to the top. He opened up a four length lead on the field by the next marker of 1:25.2 and continued to pour it on down the stretch, hitting the wire with a nine length margin of victory. Longshot Fenian Hanover (Jack Moiseyev) came in second with third place finisher Aslan (Paul MacKenzie) 19 lengths in arrears.
Trainer Carl Jamieson co-owns the career winner of $251,000, who swept the first two Gold Series events, with Thomas Kyron of Toronto, Ont., Dr. Michael Wilson of Rockwood, Ont., and Floyd Marshall of Jarvis, Ont. He paid $2.10 to win as the heavy favourite.
Bob McIntosh trainee I Found My Beach and driver Randy Waples upset Battle Of Waterloo champion Machapelo (Scott Zeron), who carved out fractions of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:25.2, in the next elimination and missed Warrawee Needy’s record by one-fifth of a second. I Found My Beach rallied three-wide off cover and wore down the pacesetter to score by half a length. Longshot Addwater (J.R. Plante) finished over 10 lengths behind in third.
The son of Mach Three-Ohio Annie, now two-for-three in his young career, is owned by the Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of Windsor, Ont. and Robert Kauffman of New Albany, Ohio. He paid $8 as the 3-1 third choice.
Moving up to the Gold level, Hard To Mach claimed the final elimination, winning by seven and a half lengths in 1:55 for driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Maurice Goldschmidt.
Orse Power (Jack Moiseyev) and favourite Czar Seelster (Jody Jamieson) took turns on the front during a :28 opening quarter before MacDonald sent Hard To Mach to the top. The son of Mach Three-Angel In Disguise cleared the lead during the second interval but gave way to Rocky Regal (Jason Brewer), who powered up from fifth and hit the half in :56.2. MacDonald sent his charge back out for the retake and after hitting three-quarters in 1:25, he took off from the field for the open length triumph. Winbak Warrior (James MacDonald) finished second and Noble Andrew (Chris Christoforou) recovered from an early break to get third.
Hard To Mach is now two-for-three in his career with $34,500 earned for owners Lindsey and Connie Rankin of Lexington, Michigan. He paid $6.80 to win as the 2-1 second choice.
Here is a look at the field for next Sunday’s $130,000 Gold Final:
1. Noble Andrew
2. Addwater
3. Machapelo
4. I Found My Beach
5. Hard To Mach
6. Winbak Warrior
7. Aslan
8. Warrawee Needy
9. Fenian Hanover
AE1. Jigger And Abit
AE2. Caddy Jeff
AE3. Rocky Regal
(courtesy Standardbred Canada)