Tye Seelster prevailed by a nose in a four-horse finish in the $57,400 Ontario Prep Series final for three-year-old male pacers contested Sunday evening at Flamboro
Downs.
The Jody Jamieson-driven elimination winner fired to command from post seven and led the field, which was scratched down to eight, past panels of :28, :57.2, and 1:25.1. Tye Seelster turned back the first over challenge of Giddy Up Blackfly (Billy Davis Jr.) early on and held on by a nose for the 1:54 score when confronted at the finish.
Mississippi Hippy (Jack Moiseyev), also an elimination winner, slipped up the pylons from third to finish second while Lyons Josephjnr (Sylvain Filion) pulled the pocket and got up for third. Fourth place finisher Smokin Bear (Aaron Byron) rallied wide around his fading cover and also made it into the win photo. The other elimination winner, Machal Angelo (J.R. Plante), earned the final paycheque back in fifth.
Tye Seelster paid $5.10 to win as the 3-2 favourite. The Camluck-The Patriot colt, a Kawartha Downs two-year-old track record holder, is trained by Ed Hayter and owned by Victor Hayter of Stratford, Ont. The $70,000 Forest City Sale purchase notched his fifth career win in 11 starts and lifted his bankroll to $88,470.
The Ontario Prep Series is for three-year-old Ontario sired pacers and trotters that are non-winners of $40,000 in 2011. Eliminations for filly trotters are next on Wednesday, May 2 with the trotting colts facing off on Sunday, May 6 in their elimination rounds. Both finals will take place one week later.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.