Gearing up for its signature Confederation Cup program in one week’s time, Flamboro Downs plays host to five $40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations this Sunday
, August 7.
Ontario’s top three-year-old trotting colts and two-year-old pacing colts will square off over the Dundas half-mile, angling for a berth in their respective $130,000 Gold finals, which will be featured on the Confederation Cup card on August 14.
Rick Zeron trainee Delcrest Julian heads into Sunday’s test off a pair of solid performances in the Canadian Breeders Championship, and the Oakville, Ont. resident says the colt is finally headed in the right direction.
“He’s a real nice horse, he really turned the corner for me,” says Zeron. “We had to do some adjustments, we did a shoeing change on him, did a bridle change on him, and got some vet work done on him, and he’s just turned the corner, he’s just become a real good horse right now.”
After Delcrest Julian made breaks in three of his first six sophomore outings, Zeron went back to the drawing board with the son of Oaklea Julian and Stars Balance. In a July 8 qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack the trotter was still misbehaving, but he turned in a strong 1:58.4 effort in a second qualifier at the Campbellville oval on July 12, so Zeron opted to take a run at the Canadian Breeders Championship.
Delcrest Julian was flawless in his July 15 elimination, sprinting home in :27.2 to claim a three and one-quarter length victory in 1:55, and in the July 24 final he was once again flying at the finish, reaching the wire in third spot behind Daylon Magician and Lakefield.
A Gold elimination winner at two, Delcrest Julian sports a sophomore record of two wins, one second and one third in eight starts for earnings of $64,997. Terry Hunter of Cambridge, Ont. owns the youngster, who was a $7,500 purchase as a yearling in 2009.
“He’s turned the corner and he’s headed in the right direction now, and as long as we keep him going that way I think Terry Hunter is going to have a real good knock out punch with this horse,” says Zeron. “Right now the horses that he owns that I’m training are really going forward, and I’m glad to see that this one is going forward too.”
With Zeron headed to Ottawa, Ont. to drive in a Gold final and Gold elimination on Sunday, Paul MacDonell will take over the lines on Delcrest Julian. MacDonell will steer the colt from Post 5 in the fourth race, the second of two $40,000 Gold eliminations for the sophomore trotting colts.
“Perfect spot, perfect position,” asserts Zeron, who schooled the colt in 1:56 on Tuesday in preparation for Sunday’s test. “And I expect nothing but the best from Paul.”
Among the colts that MacDonell and Delcrest Julian face in the fourth race are Daylon Magician and Lakefield, who will start from Posts 3 and 1 respectively. The top four finishers from the two Gold eliminations will earn a return invitation to the $130,000 Gold final on the exciting August 14 Confederation Cup card.
In addition to Delcrest Julian, MacDonell will also pilot Rebel Jet in the last two-year-old pacing colt Gold elimination. The Guelph, Ont. resident conditions Rebel Jet for his partner Irwin Stables Inc. of Cobourg, Ont., and will be lining up at Post 7 for the colt’s Ontario Sires Stakes debut.
The son of Jeremes Jet and Heart Ofthe Matter was a $120,000 acquisition at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale and thus far he has made two appearances over the Mohawk Racetrack oval. In a July 12 qualifier Rebel Jet was a seven length winner in 1:57.1 and on July 22 he finished second in an overnight event, pacing his own mile in 1:54.3.
With three eliminations for the freshman pacing colts, only the top three will advance to next weekend’s lucrative Gold final. The other two eliminations are Races 3 and 5, with two-time Gold final winner Warrawee Needy featured in the first split and the August 1 upset winner of the Battle of Waterloo, Machapelo, starring in the second.
Post time for Flamboro Downs’ Sunday, August 7 program is 6 p.m., with the three-year-old trotting colts squaring off in Races 2 and 4, while the two-year-old pacing colts battle in Races 3, 5 and 8.
To viw Sunday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Sunday Entries - Flamboro Downs.
(OSS)