Twin B Legend and driver Mike Saftic used second-over tactics to capture the $170,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final for two-year-old pacing colts Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack, defeating $1 million Metro Stakes winner, Mystician
.
Mach It Big (Jason Brewer) used Post 1 to his advantage and established early command posting first quarter speed of :26.4. Mystician (Doug McNair) settled away in third from Post 8, but rallied to take command at the half in :55.3.
Mystician, the heavy favourite, took his nine rivals past the third quarter station in 1:23.3.
As the field turned for home, Mystician was defeated early down the stretch and was passed by Watermelonwine (Paul MacDonell), but Twin B Legend used a late surge rallying off cover for the 1:52.1 score for trainer-owner Jack Darling.
Watermelonwine finished second with Some Mach Some Win (Chris Christoforou) third.
"He [trainer Jack Darling] filled me in pretty good on him; he's got a steering problem and reminded me of it. Also, his breed can get pretty hot but he gave me good info. and we got a nice second-over trip and it worked out good," Saftic commented in the winner's circle. "Halfway down the lane, I thought I was going to be second and I was thinking that's not bad but the colt kept digging."
Twin B Legend, a gelded son of Mach Three-What An Attitude, now has three wins and three seconds on his nine-race record with earnings totaling $114,050. He paid $24.60 for the 11-1 upset.
Twin B Legend was the second son of broodmare What An Attitude to score a Gold Final victory this week. The gelding’s Apaches Fame half-brother Twin B Warrior was victorious in the three-year-old pacing colt Gold Final at Windsor Raceway on Tuesday. A 100 per cent producer, What An Attitude also boasts $202,580 winner All Night Long and Darling’s ill-fated $260,831 winner Twin B Survivor among her progeny.
Twin B Legend will have one opportunity to defend his Gold Final title when the two-year-old pacing colts wrap up their regular season at Rideau Carleton Raceway Oct. 17 and 24.
In Saturday's $25,000 Three & Four-Year-Old Open Pace Piece Of The Rock converted from the pocket to win by a neck in a career-best 1:51.1 over 3-2 favourite Dreamlands Art (Chris Christoforou). Mr Coolie (Doug McNair) finished three-quarters of a length behind in third.
Bob Young trains and co-owns the Rocknroll Hanover-Paulas Promise gelding with Jamie Trott of Orangeville, Brian Barton of Carlisle and Frank Aloise of Brampton, Ont. The win was his fifth in 19 sophomore starts and helped boost his seasonal bankroll to $313,948. He paid $8.80 to win as the 3-1 third choice.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(With files from WEG)