A trio of trotting youngsters were lined up across the track in the closing strides of Sunday’s $130,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series final for two-year-olds colts and geldings at Rideau Carleton Raceway
, and it took a track record performance for Magic Fruit to take home the top prize.
With veteran trainer/driver Per Henriksen at the helm, the son of Kadabra-Anna Banana enjoyed a beautiful trip behind even-money favourite Zorgwijk Kingpin before hauling down that foe and Text Me in deep stretch to post the win.
Magic Fruit took the field to the quarter pole in :28.3 with Zorgwijk Kingpin camped at his flank. The favourite brushed to the top in front of the grandstand and took the field to the mid-way point in :58.4. He was pressed to the three-quarter pole in 1:28.1 by Text Me, and they held the top two positions at the head of the lane.
Magic Fruit was angled into the three-wide path as the field entered the stretch, and a strong late kick earned the colt the 1:57 decision. That went down as a career-best clocking for the rookie, and it was a Rideau Carleton Raceway track record for two-year-old trotting colts.
Ernst Gerbaulet of Recklinghausen, GER holds the papers on the freshman who now boasts a 2-1-3 record in 10 attempts. The $65,000 payday bumped his cash stash to $165,063.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click here.