Three-year-old trotting colts and geldings kicked off their Ontario Sires Stakes season with a set of Gold divisions Monday evening at Woodbine Park, and fans got the best of both worlds – one winning favourite and an upsetter.

Heavily-favoured Duly Resolved was a front-stepping winner in his $101,300 division of driver Paul MacDonell and trainer John Bax.

MacDonell hustled the son of Resolve-Motown Muscle to the lead from Post 7 and together they knifed out fractions of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:25.1 before using a :29-second closing quarter to win by a pair of lengths over Tymal Tiggs in 1:54.1.  Evil Guy had a bounce-back effort to finish third.

“Everything went to plan, and I was pretty happy with the way it set up,” Bax told the OSS after the race. “Nobody gave him any grief, so that was the way it was supposed to happen.”

It was the first win of the season for the John Bax trainee, who went five-for-12 in his rookie year.  The career winner of $703,151 is owned by Bax Stable, David Hudson, Don Allensen and Gaelic Stable, and the connections will now focus on a Grand Circuit test — the upcoming Goodtimes Trot at Mohawk, a race named after the Hall of Fame trotter Bax conditioned throughout his $2.2 million-winning career.

“The Goodtimes is definitely where we’re looking next,” said Bax. “I’d love to hand the trophy to myself.”

Esplosione played the role of giant killer in the second division thanks to his come-from-behind triumph over the 1-9 favourite, Twin B Archie, in a time of 1:53.4.

Safe Conduct raced to the position of command in the early going, and he had the field chasing him past the quarter pole in :26.4.  Twin B Archie then hustled up first-over in the backstretch after sitting in the four-hole early.  He made a powerful brush to the lead and had the group following him through middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25.3.  Despite kicking home in :28.1, it was only good enough for second prize as Esplosione unleashed a final quarter clocked in :27.2 to win by a neck over Twin B Archie.  Taking down third prize was Safe Conduct.      

“I was behind the favourite early which is right where I wanted to be,” said Jamieson. “When hevacated that spot and went to the lead, it left me thinking I was going to be first up, but the trip worked out. I just had to be a little more patient.

"He should have been third by rights," Jamieson continued. “But he dug in to win. I was really impressed with the horse.”

Sent off at odds of 12-1, the three-year-old son of Kadabra-Dynamite Dame now boasts a 2-2-0 record from just four trips to the track this season for trainer Meg Crone.  The five-time winner pushed his lifetime earnings to $307,169 for owners Mel Hartmann and Enzed Racing Stable Inc.

“He’s very consistent,” said Crone. “He can race off the front, or off a helmet, and he’s so smart it helps a lot. He never gets hot. I think he’ll be one of the top contenders the rest of the year.”

To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(with quotes from OSS)