Safe Conduct, close in many of his recent Ontario Sire Stakes (OSS) contests, put it all together at exactly the right moment when closing strongly to win the $225,000 Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final for three-year-old trotting males group at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday (Oct. 15).
The gelded son of Archangel, starting from post eight in the field of 10 and sent off at 10-1, got away cleanly for driver Chris Christoforou and tucked in sixth as the early pace was disputed by Unevergonnagethis and Duly Resolved through a :26.3 quarter on the cool night. Duly Resolved finally claimed the pacesetter’s spot midway up the backstretch and the even-money favourite looked like he might be tough to pass after getting to the half in a relatively soft :56.1.
The outer tier aligned approaching the far turn, with first-over Tymal Tiggs followed by Twin B Archie — the second choice and an OSS Super Final winner last year — with Safe Conduct in an optimal spot to follow cover third over. Duly Resolved, meanwhile, clicked three-quarters in 1:25.1.
Horses began to fan out all over the track coming off the final turn while Duly Resolved soon folded his hand. Twin B Archie looked well-placed and he did kick home but not nearly as much as Safe Conduct, who was sent four wide and quickly flashed the highest gear to win by just over a length in 1:53.3, missing his own lifetime mark by a fifth of a second.
Sea Can, let go at 125-1, was near the back at the top of the long Mohawk stretch then found both good strides and a forward-moving path behind Safe Conduct to finish second. Twin B Archie settled for third.
Safe Conduct is a family horse for the Christoforous, with the family firmly planted in Campbellville, Ont. — Woodbine Mohawk’s location. Patriarch Charalambos Christoforou bred the horse in partnership with Toronto’s Banjo Farms and he owns the horse with Irvann Holdings Inc., also of Toronto.
Chris’s wife Camilla Christoforou is the horse’s trainer. Safe Conduct has hit the board in 11 of 13 starts this season, collecting his fourth victory of the year with this win, and has career earnings of $302,200.
Informed that his horse paid $22.20 to win, Chris Christoforou expressed surprise after the race.
“I would have thought he would have been 4-1, 5-1, as well as he had been racing,” said Christoforou. “He’s been very good and he just hasn’t had the right luck sometimes – I thought he had a chance to win at London last week [where he finished third after traffic issues]. Going around the last turn, I was watching the ‘body language’ of all the horses around me and I was smiling – I knew my horse was stronger than the others looked.”
The win finishes the gelding’s OSS career with a flourish.
“I think that he could develop into a free-for-all trotter at four and beyond,” said Christoforou. “He’s been brought along carefully and not over raced, and he has developed well and can continue to develop.”
The $2 exacta of 8-10 combining Safe Conduct and Sea Can paid $1,176.90 and anybody with a correct ticket having Twin B Archie third received $10,301.10. Add 30-1 fourth-place finisher Esplosione and that correct combination returned $19,611.25.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Ontario Racing)