With Peter Kyte behind the mic, the fall meet at Western Fair Raceway kicked off on Friday night and the program featured a pair of $40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series eliminations for three-year-old trotting colts
and geldings, which produced a new track record.
Driver Trevor Ritchie joined forces with Parlay to score in 1:59.2 over a track rated ‘good’ in the first OSS elimination. Ritchie sent the Kadabra-Speedy Shasta colt to the lead from Post 5 and cleared past the :29.3 opening mark. The 5-2 third choice carved out middle splits of 1:00.4 and 1:30 with favourite and divisional leader Equity (Jack Moiseyev) stalking the leader from first-over. Kicking home in :29.2, Parlay outclassed his rivals by a length and a quarter to push his earnings over the $100,000 mark.
Equity stayed for second while the pocket-sitting Angeldrive (Brad Forward) finished third.
Unraced at two, Parlay now sports seven wins and two seconds on his 16-race record. Jeff Gillis handles the training duties for owners Ricky MacPhee of Cambridge, Harris O’Brien of Fort Erie and Robby Wiratmo Wibawa of Mississauga, Ont.
Breewood Gringo swooped out and around fan favourite I Wont Dance past the half to pull off a 23-1 shocker in the second elim for driver Trevor Henry and trainer/owner Stephen Loughran. I Wont Dance (Trevor Ritchie) fired off and opening quarter of :27.4 with Winning Mister (Brad Forward) hot on his heels and Breewood Gringo watching nine lengths back from fourth. As I Wont Dance took a breather with a :58.3 half, Henry moved Breewood Gingro first-up and was on top by the three-quarters mark in 1:27.2. The son of Amigo Hall-Millie Wonka used a :29.3 final quarter to upset in 1:58 flat, lowering Gusty Decision's track record (set in 2000) for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings by one second.
I Wont Dance finished a length and three-quarters behind in second with Winning Mister rounding out the top three.
The win was Breewood Gringo’s fourth in 16 starts this year lifting his earnings to $77,200. The $5,500 Forest City yearling purchase has won six times in his career banking a total of $85,700.
Here is a look at the field for the $130,000 OSS Gold final for sophomore trotting colts scheduled for next Friday, October 9 at Western Fair Raceway:
1. Parlay
2. I Wont Dance
3. Celebrity Hercules
4. Equity
5. Magic Spice
6. Angeldrive
7. Winning Mister
8. Breewood Gringo
AE1. Hour Lavec
AE2. Zero Boundaries
AE3. Maldeen
To view Friday’s harness racing results, click here.