The post position gods weren’t very kind to Knows Nothing when the overnight sheet came out earlier this week for the $50,000 Tie Silk Series Final, but the colt didn’t let his Post 9 perch keep him from keeping his undefeated record intact
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The three-year-old son of Kadabra-Savvy Yankee dug down deep in the late stages of the trotting tilt to win in a career-best clocking of 1:56.1, knocking off a dead game Cold Certified who did a good deal of the road work in what turned out to be a two-horse race.
Knows Nothing and driver Jody Jamieson were parked by Cimeronken past the quarter pole in :28.2 before working his way to the top. The lead was a short-lived one for Knows Nothing, who came under attack from Cold Certified in the backstretch. That foe sprinted to the top and led the group of ten to the mid-way point in :57.1. Knows Nothing re-pulled on the leader at the mid-way point of the final turn, and there wasn’t much separating them at the three-quarter marker in 1:25.3. Both colts were tired as they continued their battle into the wind, but Knows Nothing managed to inch past a very determined Cold Certified in the closing strides. Midfield Magic was a distant third.
“That was a big effort from him tonight,” Jamieson said following the win. “Given tonight’s unfavourable track conditions due to the wind, I thought his performance was terrific. The sky’s the limit of what this horse can achieve. He’s got great breeding and all the right attributes. He’s still a green colt, but he can really trot for a piece of a mile. He’s on the right track.”
Jeff Gillis, who shares ownership on the colt via the J Gillis G Stay stable, trains the lightly-raced youngster for Al Libfeld, Marvin Katz and Mac Nichol. The $25,000 payday lifts the trotter’s lifetime earnings to $49,000.
Thursday’s card also featured the second leg of the Swing Into Spring Series, with a pair of $30,000 divisions on tap.
Rockys First was a gate-to-wire winner in the opening split for the tandem of driver Jason Brewer and trainer Ed Hayter. The four-year-old son of Hard Rock N Roll-Tara Emerald threw down fractions of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:25.4 before using a :29.2 kicker to win by 1-1/4 lengths over the 2-1 favourite, Poof K. Third prize was earned by Incredable Frank.
Vic Hayter of Stratford, ON bred and owns the gelding who is now 2-for-2 to start the season after going 5-for-15 during last year’s sophomore campaign. The $15,000 payday boosted his lifetime earnings to $86,300.
A Crown For Lindy pulled off a 6-1 upset in the second division after being treated to a ground-saving journey by driver Randy Waples.
Waples hustled the six-year-old son of Cantab Hall-Lady Starlet to the early lead, and together they led the field past the quarter pole in :27.3 before being overtaken by Bullet. Race favourite Order By Roosevelt was hot on Bullet’s footsteps, and in a matter of strides that week-one winner was in charge of setting the tempo. Order By Roosevelt led through middle intervals of :57.1 and 1:26.2, but he couldn’t fend off a late-rushing A Crown For Lindy who used a :29.2 final frame to win by three-quarters of a length over Order By Roosevelt in 1:56.3. Bullet tagged along to finish third.
Rod Hughes trains the 17-time winner for the Hughes Stable Inc of Dunsford, ON. It was the first win of the season in 10 tries for the career winner of $218,801.
The $50,000 final of the Spring Fling Series is slated for Monday, May 2.
(With quotes from WEG)
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.