Ontario’s talented two-year-old trotting colts will return to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Friday evening for their third $130,000 Gold Final, and Dr. Frederick Albert is hoping Holy Kadabra can plod along to another top three finish

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“He’s not one of the fastest ones, but he seems to keep plodding along,” says the Prescott, ON resident. “We hope that he does okay.”

Holy Kadabra started off his Gold Series career with a 1:59.1 victory at Mohawk Racetrack in his July 12 elimination and came back the following week to finish third in the Gold Final. In his second Gold Elimination, at Grand River Raceway on July 28, the son of Kadabra-Holyrood made a break at the start and finished well back of the field in eighth, but the novice trotter redeemed himself with a solid runner-up effort over his local oval in last week’s elimination round.

In rein to trainer Jason Gilchrist of Iroquois, ON, Holy Kadabra sat third on the rail through much of last week’s elimination, and then stepped out in the stretch to grab the second-place finisher’s share, five lengths behind winner Sim Brown who halted the Rideau Carleton teletimer at 1:57.3. Albert was pleased with Holy Kadabra’s performance, and was also impressed by the efforts turned in by the colt’s peers.

“There are some very good horses in that race — Sim Brown raced good, he was very quick, and also Imperial Count,” notes Albert. “There will be good competition.”

With two-time Gold Final winner Buckhams Bay temporarily sidelined due to a minor injury, all nine contestants in Friday’s sixth race will be hoping to increase their share of the $130,000 purse. Holy Kadabra currently sits in a tie for third spot in the division standings and will be looking to add to his 87 point tally from Post 3.

“He doesn’t leave very quick, but he can get out a little bit,” notes Albert, who purchased the colt for $6,000 at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale. The colt was one of two Kadabra offspring Albert acquired from the October 17 sale before departing for England, where his daughter is studying medicine.

“I had liked Kadabra because a few years ago we had Windsun Magical ($137,387), who did fairly well for us,” explains Albert. “I bought two Kadabra’s very early in the sale, he (Holy Kadabra) was number four and Kadabra Lightning was number five, and I was fortunate to get them reasonable.”

Although Kadabra Lightning, a $6,500 purchase, has not yet raced, Holy Kadabra has recouped both his own and his stablemate’s purchase price with one win, one second and one third in four starts, banking $45,600.

On call during last week’s eliminations, Albert is looking forward to watching Holy Kadabra compete over his local oval this Friday. If the young trotter delivers a solid effort in Friday’s Gold Final, his sixth lifetime start could be against North America’s top freshman trotting colts in the William Wellwood Memorial Eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack on Sept. 10.

Trainer Kevin O’Reilly is also using Friday’s Gold Final as an evaluation tool for the Wellwood. Imperial Count picked up his first lifetime victory in last week’s elimination, and if the Angus Hall son can replicate his 1:58 effort, a shot at North America’s best could be in the cards.

“That was a good mile, he got home good,” says O’Reilly of the colt’s elimination win. “If he races good there on Friday, we might give him a shot at the Wellwood.”

O’Reilly conditions Imperial Count for Neven Botica of Perth, Australia, who acquired the colt for $35,000 from last fall’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Like Holy Kadabra, the youngster has one win, one second and one third in four starts and has banked $57,300. Steve Condren, who also piloted Sim Brown to victory last week, will be back behind Imperial Count from Post 6 on Friday.

Rideau Carleton Raceway’s first race goes to the post at 6:30 p.m., with the spotlight shining on the talented two-year-old trotting colts in Race 6.

(O.S.S.)

To view Friday’s entries, click here.