Earlier this season Sakic Seelster was untouchable as he climbed up the conditioned ranks into the Open class, but times have been tough for the Ben Baillargeon pupil since harness racing moved to Mohawk
for the summer meet.
Tonight, however, was a different story for the five-year-old son of Eager Seelster-Armbro Super who took a talented group of Preferred rivals out behind the woodshed for a Monday evening whooping.
Sakic Seelster, in rein to Mario Baillargeon, marched to the early lead from post three and had Save My Ashes parked outside of him at the quarter pole in :27 seconds. Baillargeon released Save My Ashes to the top before promptly coming back around for the retake. Sakic Seelster sped through middle splits of :55.4 and 1:24.2 before sprinting home in :27.4 to stop the clock in 1:52.1. Windsun Lane was seven lengths back in second, and Maple Leaf Buddy rounded out the top three.
The 1:52.1 clocking goes down as the nation’s quickest mile of the season for older male trotters. The previous best was the 1:52.4 performance turned in by San Pail at Mohawk Racetrack on May 4.
“My brother knows what he’s doing,” said driver Mario Baillargeon when asked about a shoeing change [steel to aluminum up front] made by trainer Ben Baillargeon. “He had those shoes on him earlier this winter and he was trotting real good, then his feet got sore and he had to take those shoes off. He wasn’t as good with the other shoes, he’d get a little hikey in the turns with the other shoes but tonight he was flying around the racetrack.”
“I was going to let Mark [Mark MacDonald driving Save My Ashes] go, but my horse got a little rough on me when I took hold of him in the first turn,” added Baillargeon. “I just made sure he stayed trotting in the first turn and then I let Mark go and I came back.”
Santo Vena of Brampton and Nunzio Vena of Bolton, ON share ownership on the gelding, who now boasts a 9-1-1 record in 16 starts this season. The 15-time winner has banked $167,500 this season and more than $243,000 to date.
To view Monday’s results, click here.