The 35th edition of the $532,500 Confederation Cup went to the best three-year-old pacing colt on Sunday afternoon at Flamboro Downs, which proved to be Bestofbest Hanover
.
Drawing into the final off his fifth place finish in the first of two eliminations earlier in the day, Bestofbest Hanover shot up the rail to score the 1:52 victory in the final with Jack Moiseyev in the sulky for trainer Daniel Martin. The Western Hanover-Bunny Lake colt is owned L Ecurie Triple P Inc. of Quebec, Que.
Mystician (Rick Zeron) and favourite Up The Credit (Jody Jamieson) blasted off the gate together from post positions four and five, but with the inner advantage, Mystician held on to the lead and forced Up The Credit to settle into the pocket at the flashy :26.1 opening quarter.
Elimination winner Prodigal Seelster (Scott Zeron) made the first over sacrifice from fourth with Bestofbest Hanover and driver Jack Moiseyev following his cover as Mystician led the field in front of the grandstand for the first time and past the half in :54.3.
Heading to three-quarters in 1:23.1, Prodigal Seelster inched closer on the outside while Up The Credit broke stride from the pocket and backed through the field. Bestofbest Hanover dove down to the rail and out-sprinted his rivals to score the 1:52 triumph by three-quarters of a length over Mystician and Prodigal Seelster. The other elimination winner, Keystone Velocity (Dan Dube), finished fourth and Townslight Hanover (Randy Waples) was fifth.
"I’ve never had too many horses flip a palate in the first heat and come back to race that good in the second heat,” said Moiseyev of Bestofbest Hanover following the victory. “If you can save him until the head of the stretch, he’ll give you all he’s got.
“It feels good," added the veteran reinsman, who also won an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final with Daylon Magician during the card. "I was in it [the Confederation Cup] a few times, but this is my first win.”
Bestofbest Hanover paid $12.60 to win as the 5-1 fourth choice. The bay colt has won five of his 12 starts this year including his Somebeachsomewhere Stakes division and the North America Cup Consolation. His biggest stakes win today in the Confederation Cup was also his owner's biggest thrill.
“I’ve had horses for 40 years and I won my first stake in the Somebeachsomewhere at Mohawk,” noted owner Jean Roch Perron of L Ecurie Triple P Inc.
Purchased for $27,000 at the Harrisburg Sale as a yearling, Bestofbest Hanover has won eight races in 17 career starts and now boasts a bankroll of $319,890.
Perron indicated that his colt will be shut down for the rest of the year and return to the track for his four-year-old season in 2012.
For results from Sunday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.
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I feel sorrry for the
I feel sorrry for the connections of ,"Prodigal Seelster'. He just rounded into good,"shape", and he then had the bad luck of drawing an outside post in the Confederation Cup final. Real tough to win from an outside draw when there's quality horses racing over a 1/2 mile track. "Prodigal Seelster", tried to leave, but got hung out. Then he tried to move outside down the backside, but that's too tall an order against the ,"ilk", he was facing. Maybe next time?