Ten of the province’s finest three-year-old pacing colts and geldings trekked to Kawartha Downs on Thursday to do battle in a $40,000 OSS Gold Series elimination
, with Prodigal Seelster - fresh off a third-place finish in the Confederation Cup – coming out on top in track record time.
The speedy son of Camluck-Platinum Seelster torched the oval in 1:50.4, thus taking four-fifths of a second off the track record for three-year-old pacing colts. Camystic set the former standard of 1:51.3 on July 28, 2002. The clocking matched the track record for three-year-old pacers – a record established by the gritty gelding, Bigtime Ball, on September 18, 2007.
Prodigal Seelster and Scott Zeron watched Camaes Fellow and Machal Jackson exchange punches to the quarter pole :27.1 before the latter cleared to the position of command. Prodigal Seelster started a first-over rally in front of the grandstand, but Machal Jackson had him parked at the mid-way point in :55.2.
By the time they hit the backstretch, however, Prodigal Seelster had muscled his to the lead and threw down a :27-second third panel which landed him at the three-quarter pole in 1:22.2. A :28.2 final frame was enough to fend off a late-rushing Camaes Fellow by three-quarters of a length for the win, with Twin B Legend rounding out the top three finishers.
Dave Menary trains the 10-time winner for the partnership of Larry Menary, Denis Breton, Kenneth Ewen and Double Or Nothing Stables. The colt improved his 2011 record to 4-2-3 in 12 tries while his seasonal bankroll topped $262,000 with the win. The pacer has stashed away $741,877 to date.
Here’s the post draw for next Thursday’s final:
$130,000 OSS Gold Series Final
1. Drain Daddy
2. Twin B Legend
3. Prodigal Seelster
4. Bullet Speed
5. Cam B Zipper
6. Mystician
7. Machal Jackson
8. Camaes Fellow
9. Mach Of Ballykeel
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Kawartha Downs.
CONGRATULATIONS
CONGRATULATIONS DAVE...
Congrats to you Dave, your owners and all of your staff. Keep it up ... want to see you do well and hope you have the best year ever!!!
When top quality horse race
When top quality horse race over a 1/2 miler like Flamboro, they tend to be too tough to conquer because of the way they tough, down on the inside with early speed. Such was the bane of,"Prodigal Seelster", in the Confederation Cup. He started from the outside number 8 post position, couldn't get around the inside early speed off the gate, and was forced to go 1st over against the best three year old stock in the land. Was set-up far better today with an inside post and a larger race track.