Future Million and Haul Away struck gold at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening, as the five-eighths mile oval gave the red carpet treatment
to many of the province’s top rookie pacing colts and geldings who were in town for a set of OSS Gold Series eliminations.
Future Million rallied to win by a head in the first split for driver Simon Allard and trainer Don Lowes, who co-owns the colt with Kerry Lowes of Princeton, ON. The homebred son of Million Dollar Cam-Future Champion sat third for most of the mile while race favourite Wellthereyougo threw down panels of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:24.3. Future Million pressed the leader to the three-quarter pole before using a 30-second final frame to rally for the head decision. Code Word was second best and Wellthereyougo settled for the show dough.
It was the third win of the season for Future Million, who has put together a 3-4-1 record in just nine starts. The $20,000 payday lifts his bankroll to $179,747.
Haul Away took the other elimination in what was his first start for trainer Dave Menary, who took over the training after being purchased privately by Larry Menary, Denis Breton, Phil Silvestri and Joe Settimi. The son of Modern Art-Armbro Reno, who had put up good numbers in the OSS Grassroots program earlier this year for former trainer/driver Joe Hudon, gravitated the Gold Series level and passed the test with flying colours in his first start for the new connections.
Mach Dreamer and Stonebridge Tonic battled to the quarter pole in :27.3, but a costly break in the second quarter sent Mach Dreamer galloping to the back of the pack. Stonebridge Tonic suffered interference but still managed to brush to the lead at the mid-way point in :57.3. He led to the three-quarter pole in 1:25.4 before being tracked down in the closing strides by Haul Away, who stopped the clock in 1:55.1. Stonebridge Tonic was second best and Big Bay Point finished third.
Haul Away has found his way to the winner’s circle in four of his seven starts this season, and the $20,000 cheque puts his lifetime earnings at $48,720.
The top four finishers from each of Sunday’s eliminations plus one fifth-place finisher drawn by lot will return to Rideau Carleton Raceway next Sunday evening for the final. Here’s how they’ll line up on the starting gate:
$130,000 OSS Gold Series Final
1. Wellthereyougo
2. Future Million
3. Haul Away
4. Big Bay Point
5. Stonebridge Tonic
6. Toughest Of All
7. Adrenaline
8. Code Word
9. Tigers Mattjesty
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click here.