Two-year-old trotting colt Majestized heads back to Mohawk Racetrack for Thursday’s Gold Final off an impressive result in his Gold Elimination last week, but trainer Linda Duncan is making no predictions of success.
“He hasn’t behaved in any of the Finals, but hopefully he’s maturing. I hope,” says the Stoney Creek resident with a chuckle.
In last week’s elimination Majestized laid down a flawless 1:57.4 mile to capture his second Gold Series trophy. The son of Majestic Son-Digitized was also an elimination winner in the June 27 season opener at Flamboro Downs. Unfortunately the young trotter made a break in the July 4 Gold Final and made another mistake in the July 16 Gold Eliminations at Mohawk.
After that effort owners Johnny and Kimberley Waite of Camden, DE opted to leave the colt in Duncan’s care and the veteran horsewoman decided trotting hopples were in order. Following a July 20 qualifier at Mohawk Majestized was a narrowly beaten second in the July 30 eliminations at Grand River Raceway, but knocked himself out of contention on the first turn in the Gold Final one week later.
Last week’s victory was a personal best for Majestized and Duncan hopes the youngster is finally settling into his role as a racehorse.
“I added trotting hopples a couple of starts ago and they seem to help, but I think it’s all between his ears,” says the trainer. “He thinks he’s a Thoroughbred some days.”
Majestized and regular reinsman Jack Moiseyev will make their bid for a flawless Gold Final outing from Post 2 in Thursday’s $130,000 contest. The other elimination winners Murmur Hanover and Flanagan Memory will start from Posts 6 and 10, respectively. Reigning Gold Final champion Creampuff Macdaddy will be looking for a repeat from Post 7.
“I think he’ll be better this week,” says Duncan. “There’s a lot of sickness going around and I swear he was sick last week, so he should be better, as long as he stays trotting.
“Maybe he stayed trotting because he was a bit sick,” she adds with a laugh.
In addition to the two-year-old trotting colt Gold Final, Mohawk Racetrack fans will be treated to a pair of Gold Eliminations for the three-year-old trotting fillies. A number of Grassroots competitors will make the leap up to the Gold Series this week, including Lexus Helios, who was a winner in Grassroots action at Mohawk Racetrack on Aug. 10.
Norm Dunstan bred, owns and trains Lexus Helios, who will make her bid for a top five finish from Post 2 in the first $40,000 elimination.
“She’s not one of the favourites in there, I can tell you that,” says Dunstan. “She raced good in the Grassroots, but we had her in the Gold and she finished fourth.”
Lexus Helios trotted to a 1:55.1 personal best in the Aug. 10 Grassroots contest. The daughter of Ken Warkentin-Lexus Hall made her sophomore debut against the Gold Series fillies, finishing fourth in her elimination and the final at Georgian Downs in early July. Through 13 sophomore starts the filly has amassed a record of five wins and one second for earnings of $68,050.
Dunstan decided to take another run at the upper tier after Lexus Helios captured her Aug. 10 Grassroots division in spite of running a temperature in the days preceding the race.
“She wasn’t healthy in her last two races and she’s healthy now,” explains the Caledon Village resident. “This was the time to do it.”
Should Thursday’s outing not result in a berth in the Aug. 30 Gold Final, Lexus Helios will be heading back to the Grassroots, where she currently ranks just below the cut off for a berth in the post season. The remaining Grassroots events will both be contested over half-mile ovals, where the filly’s size works to her advantage.
“She’s like me, she’s short,” says Dunstan with a chuckle. “She’s got a good heart, she’s smart and she takes care of herself, but those big horses, they take one big stride and she’s taking one and a quarter.”
Lexus Helios will be joined in the second race by three other fillies making the jump up to the Gold Series, One More Ginny at Post 1, Winbak Maya at Post 3 and Chula at Post 6. The newcomers will face two-time Gold Final champ Miss Paris, who begins her bid for a third title from Post 4. The other Gold Elimination goes postward as Race 3.
Mohawk Racetrack raises the curtain on its Thursday, Aug. 23 program at 7:10 p.m., with the three-year-old trotting fillies dueling in Races 2 and 3 and the two-year-old trotting colts battling for Gold Final glory in Race 5.
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To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack.