Kanthaka crossed the finish line faster than any two-year-old trotting colt in the history of Northfield Park when he won a $40,000 division of Ohio Sires Stakes in 1:58 on Friday (July 24).
The clocking breaks the 1:58.1 former freshman colt record set by Cool Colby (Dave Palone) in 2009 while the two-year-old trotting gelding record still stands at 1:57.2, which was set Bookem (Aaron Merriman) in 2009.
Christopher Beaver trains and owns Kanthaka in a partnership with Wilbur Stoll Lang. Dave Palone was in the sulky for the winning drive.
Kanthaka (Triumphant Caviar-Elena-San Pellegrino) started from post seven. He led his competition through fractions of :29, :59.1, 1:28.3 and 1:58. There was never really an anxious moment for the winner, who bested his competition by one and a half lengths.
Kanthaka is undefeated through three races and has earned $43,750. He was the race favourite and returned $2.60 to win.
Friday's other Ohio Sires Stakes freshman winners were: trotters War College (2:00.4), Were Gone (2:00), Mjb Got Faith (2:01.3) and Overdressed (2:00); and pacers Trayvon (1:56), Friskie Cruiser (1:57.1), Docdor Friskie (1:54.3), Primo Giovanni (1:55.2), Nothin Fancy (1:55.1) and World Of Gaming (1:55.2).
(With files from Northfield Park)