Just one night removed from notching the 5,000th win of his driving career, Paul MacDonell manufactured a perfect trip for Majestized who pulled off a big upset in Tuesday evening’s $130,000 OSS Gold Series Final for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings at Georgian Downs.
Despite winning his elimination one week earlier, the Linda Duncan-trained son of Majestic Son-Digitized was sent off at odds of 32-1 in the final – a price that was greatly inflated due to the fact that he was forced to start from the extreme outside of the gate.
MacDonell hustled Majestized into an early three-hole while Sam Hayes supplied took the field through first-half fractions of :28.4 and :58. Its Payday Friday pulled the pocket in the third quarter and proceeded to front-step the field past the third marker in 1:27.2. MacDonell angled Majestized off the pylons in the late stages of the contest and the colt used a :29.3 closing panel to secure the win by a nose over Its Payday Friday in 1:57.3. Sam Hayes managed to hold on for the show dough.
Johnny and Kimberley Waite of Camden, DE share ownership on the talented youngster, who now boasts a 4-1-0 record from just nine trips to the track. The 1:57.3 clocking was a personal best for the colt who lifted his earnings to $135,000 with the win.
Earlier on the card a set of $40,000 OSS Gold Series eliminations for two-year-old trotting fillies were contested, and fans were treated to a Canadian record in the second elimination when Bee A Magician toured the oval in 1:55 for driver Rick Zeron. The clocking obliterated the former national standard of 1:57.1 which was shared by Torch (August 7, 2007 at Kawartha Downs) and Seeuinthespring (August 24, 2012 at Rideau Carleton Raceway).
Bee A Magician needed every inch of the racetrack, however, to add her name into the Canadian record book. Zeron tucked the Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman trainee into a six-hole in the early going while Quiet Snow and Angies Lucky Star battled past the quarter pole in :28.1 before the latter cleared to the lead. Angies Lucky Star ripped through middle splits of :57.2 and 1:26.4 before being hauled down in the closing strides by Bee A Magician, who came first over at the half and got up to collar her front-stepping foe by a mere quarter of a length at the line. Charmed Life rounded out the top three finishers.
Sent off as the 1-9 favourite, the daughter of Kadabra-Beehive improved her record to 8-1-0 from 10 starts while boosting her earnings to $471,190. The $90,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale is owned by Mel Hartman of Ottawa, ON along with Herb Liverman of Miami Beach and David McDuffee of Delray Beach, FL.
The first elimination saw Motown Muscle knock off the odds-on favourite Zorgwijk Nova in a time of 1:56.3. The daughter of Muscle Mass-Bankers Jackpot got away fourth before launching a first-over attack on Zorgwijk Nova, who supplied the field with fractions of :29, :58.4 and 1:27. Motown Muscle showed a great deal of determination to survive the first-over journey en route to winning by a length over Zorgwijk Nova, with Seeuinthespring rounding out the top three finishers.
Ben Baillargeon trains and Mario Baillargeon did the driving with the freshman, who has put together a 3-2-0 record from eight starts this season. The $20,000 payday boosted her earnings to $73,650 and the 1:56.3 clocking goes down as lifetime best. The homebred is owned by Bet Max Stables Inc of Casco and Benenati Inc of Clinton Township, MI.
The final goes next Tuesday at Georgian Downs, and here’s how the fillies will line up behind the starting gate:
$130,000 OSS Gold Series Final – 2FT
1. Motown Muscle
2. Zorgwijk Nova
3. Seeuinthespring
4. Angies Lucky Star
5. Bee A Magician
6. Moms Apple Pie
7. Choir Robe
8. Charmed Life
9. Magic Peach
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Georgian Downs.