As he did two weeks ago with a pair of freshman pacing fillies, Steve Condren swept both two-year-old trotting colt Gold Eliminations at Rideau Carleton Raceway
on Friday evening.
Starting from Post 4 in the first $40,000 Gold Elimination with Imperial Count, the veteran reinsman dropped the colt into second spot on the rail behind early speed horse Air Stewart. As Air Stewart led the field of six young trotters through fractions of :28.4, 1:00 and 1:29.2, Condren and Imperial Count maintained their advantageous pocket position and waited for a moment to strike.
That moment came in the stretch when Condren shifted Imperial Count into high gear and reeled in the pacesetter for a head victory in 1:58. Air Stewart was forced to settle for second, while Undercover Strike was five more lengths back in third. Winford Hanover and fan favourite Don Pietro rounded out the cheque earners, reaching the wire well back of the dueling leaders.
Condren engineered Imperial Count’s first lifetime victory for trainer Kevin O’Reilly and owner Neven Botica of Perth, Australia. The son of Angus Hall-Miss Imperial was third in his elimination and second in the final of the Gold Series season opener at Mohawk Racetrack in July, then made an early break and finished out of the money at Grand River Raceway in his July 28 Gold Elimination. A $37,000 U.S. purchase out of the 2009 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Imperial Count has earned $57,300 through four starts and currently sits tied for third in the Gold Series standings with 87 points.
Milton, ON resident Condren was back behind the number four on the Rideau Carleton starting gate for the second Gold Elimination, but opted for different tactics aboard Sim Brown. With division leader Buckhams Bay scratched from the race, Condren had Sim Brown in high gear early, grabbing control away from Tymal Lennon just past the :29.2 quarter.
Sim Brown rolled along to a :59.3 half and a 1:28 three-quarters before drawing away from the field to a five and three-quarter length victory in a Canadian record clocking of 1:57.3. The 1:57.3 score took two-fifths of a second off the former record of 1:58 set by Botany Bay on August 22, 1999 at Rideau Carleton Raceway in a $100,000 O.S.S. Gold Series Final.
Holy Kadabra, owned by Dr. Frederick Albert of Prescott, ON, trotted home strongly to be second, leaving pocket sitter Tymal Lennon in third. Fan favourite Max Money was well back in fourth, with fifth-place finisher Calipari even further to the rear after a late break.
Jeff Gillis of Hillsburgh, ON conditions Sim Brown for his partners Mac Nichol of Burlington, ON and Gerald Stay of Buffalo, NY. The group acquired the son of Angus Hall-Trophy Bass for $65,000 U.S. at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale, and through his first four starts the colt has a Gold Elimination win and a Gold Elimination second to his credit for earnings of $30,000 and sole ownership of fifth spot in the two-year-old trotting colt division point race.
The top four finishers from each Gold Elimination, along with one fifth-place finisher selected by random draw, will return to Rideau Carleton Raceway next Friday, August 27 for the third $130,000 Gold Final on their schedule.
(O.S.S.)
To view Friday’s results, click here.