Ontario’s talented two-year-old trotting colts return to Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday for the first $130,000 Gold Final of their career
, and trainer John Bax is hoping Sombrero Hall can deliver the kind of well mannered performance that helped him navigate through the elimination round.
"I was real happy with him. I was more impressed that he had some horses break around him and he was real sensible," explains Bax, who conditions Sombrero Hall for his partners Glengate Farms of Campbellville, Don Allensen of Camlachie and Harry Locke of Oshawa. "I was impressed by his manners, and his speed obviously."
To qualify for Thursday’s final, Sombrero Hall delivered an impressive runner-up finish from the outside Post 10. The gelding hit the wire four and one-quarter lengths behind Quantum Starship, whose 1:57.4 clocking was more than a second faster than the 1:59.1 posted by the other two elimination winners. Several colts went off-stride around Sombrero Hall and driver Paul MacDonell, but the Striking Sahbra son maintained his composure and kept his head in the game.
"Paul was impressed with how he handled everything," notes Bax. "It’s typical of young trotters, some of them get looking for a reason to be bad, and he had lots of them and wasn’t. That’s a positive."
MacDonell will steer Sombrero Hall from Post 3 in Thursday’s Gold Final, which should see the pair closer to the pace than they were last week. At the halfway mark in the elimination they were over 12 lengths behind Quantum Starship.
"He should be able to get more into the action. I’m hoping it’s a positive," says Bax. "He’s pretty green. He’s certainly not racey yet."
The Peterborough resident selected Sombrero Hall out of last November’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale for $40,000. The gelding is the first foal out of unraced Balanced Image mare Stormont Flambe, who is a full sister to $246,710 winner Stormont Welldone.
"I liked that Balanced Image connection," notes Bax, who has a long history of success with Balanced Image offspring. "I heard later from Norm Jones that his mother was just no good.
"Sometimes you are better not to know too much," quips the horseman.
Bax says Sombrero Hall picked up on his lessons quickly, demonstrating intelligence and an easy going gait.
"He was always a big strong colt, and he always had a fairly easy way of trotting, fairly light on his feet," recalls the trainer. "And he always picked up things real quick. Striking Sahbra’s seem to have a head on their shoulders."
Sombrero Hall made his first charted appearance in a June 13 qualifier at Mohawk, finishing second by half a length in a 2:03.3 mile. On July 4 the gelding tackled the Bud Light Stakes at Flamboro Downs, but made a mistake at the three-quarter pole that left him in fifth, 16 lengths behind winner Ja El Express.
"For whatever reason, on the second and fourth turns he struggled," says Bax. "We put it down to inexperience and the day."
Bax and his partners are hoping the gelding’s experience in last week’s elimination round will stand him in good stead on Thursday, and for the remainder of the Gold Series events; the freshman trotters head back to Flamboro for round two.
"It’s always nice to play in the Gold. The Grassroots is a nice option, but the money sure adds up a lot quicker in the Gold if you can pick some up," says Bax, candidly.
The colts will line up to play in the fifth race on Thursday, with elimination winners Quantum Starship, Ja El Express and Reach Higher starting from Posts 7, 8 and 10 respectively. Post time for the first race on Mohawk Racetrack’s Thursday evening program is 7:30 p.m.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click here.
(OSS)