Grin For Money demonstrated a powerful stretch rush en route to posting an impressive win in his OSS Gold Series elimination for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings one week ago at Mohawk Racetrack
, and he used a similar final quarter kick to capture Sunday’s $130,000 Gold Series final in a career-best clocking of 1:53.1.
The son of Grinfromeartoear-Our Inheritance, who is owned by the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association New Owners group, the Grin For Money Stable, has quickly risen to the top of the class in his division, but according to his connections he still has some learning to do.
In rein to Sylvain Filion, Grin For Money was allowed to settle away seventh while Future Million sped the field to the quarter pole in :27.1. He relinquished the top spot briefly to Wellthereyougo before brushing back to the engine and rolling through middle splits of :56.1 and 1:25.1.
Filion in the meantime had tipped into the flow with Grin For Money, who was seventh at the mid-way point and eighth at the three-quarter pole. He started to get into gear once he hit the straightaway and his :26.3 final quarter was good enough to propel himself to the one-length score over Future Million in 1:53.1. Race favourite Lyons Danny recovered from an early break to finish third. The time of the mile equaled the Canadian season's mark set by Lyons Danny in his elim.
“I didn’t want to rush him off the gate,” said driver Sylvain Filion. “Last week he got a little steppy in the first turn. I just wanted to make sure he stayed relaxed and got off the gate. He’s got so much speed he doesn’t need to be really close to the front. He’s very aggressive and he’s got to learn how to control his speed. He doesn’t like to stop after a race, he likes to keep going. Maybe that’s a good sign.”
John Kopas conditions the youngster, who has certainly proved to be well worth his $20,000 price tag at last year’s Canadian Open Yearling Sale.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click here.