Traverse Seelster’s Grassroots foes breathed a sigh of relief when the entries for Friday’s Gold eliminations at Grand River Raceway were published
.
Rather than put the three-year-old trotter’s flawless Grassroots record to the test in this weekend’s Semifinals at Mohawk Racetrack, trainer Frank O’Reilly of Guelph and owners Franco Cianci of St-Laurent, QC, Isidoro Russo of Montreal, QC and Vincenzo Monticciolo of Laval, QC opted to move Traverse Seelster up to the Gold Series in hopes of qualifying for the season ending Super Final.
“This was exactly what I planned to do with Traverse Seelster,” says the always quotable O’Reilly.
“At the start of the season I told Terri McNair that I was going to race him in the Grassroots; I was going to go to Hanover and win the Dream Of Glory — because I’ve won it twice and I wanted to win it three times and get the hat trick; and then I was going to try the Gold, but I was going to protect him until then,” recalls the trainer. “And Terri said, ‘Jeez Frank, I didn’t think you were smart enough to do that.’
“I said, ‘Neither did I,’” finishes O’Reilly with a laugh.
After earning $37,870 at two, from two wins and one second in nine starts, Traverse Seelster returned to action in mid-April. The son of Angus Hall-Travelin Lavec scored two wins, two seconds and two thirds in six starts before the Grassroots season opener, and then strung together six straight victories in provincial company — four in Grassroots action plus his elimination and the final of the Dream Of Glory Stake at Hanover Raceway.
On Sept. 3 O’Reilly gave the gelding his first test in open stakes company and Traverse Seelster delivered a fourth-place showing in a division of the Simcoe Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack, trotting around the seven-eighths mile oval in 1:54.3.
“It’s not often that a plan comes together, but it certainly has with him,” says O’Reilly. “He thinks he’s 10 feet tall and bullet proof right now.”
Mike Saftic, who piloted Traverse Seelster in his first eight starts this season before handing the lines over to Doug Brown, will return to the gelding’s race bike on Friday. The pair will tackle the Gold Series colts from Post 6 in the single $40,000 Gold Elimination, elbow-to-elbow with division heavy weight Daylon Magician, who will start from Post 7, fresh off his win in the $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic.
“I think Daylon Magician is obviously head and shoulders above the rest, but I think it’s wide open after that,” notes O’Reilly. “And if I had to pick one, I’d pick him (Traverse) because he’s fresh.”
In spite of the change in tier, Traverse Seelster will stick to his usual routine heading into Friday’s test. O’Reilly says Shawn MacDonald handles the gelding’s day-to-day care and has done an excellent job with the trotter.
“I stay away from him,” says the horseman. “Shawn “Hoss” MacDonald has done all the training on him and he’s done a really, really good job. He’s pretty proud of his Traverse Seelster.
“We blow him out a mile and a half two days before, give him the day off before the race, and take him in on his toes,” O’Reilly continues. “That’s been his routine all year.”
To earn a return invitation to Grand River Raceway for the Sept. 30 Gold Final, Traverse Seelster will need to finish in the top eight on Friday. Only two colts will be eliminated from the field of 10.
The three-year-old trotting colts will battle in Race 10 on Grand River Raceway’s Friday evening program, with the Elora oval’s first race called to the post at 7:10 p.m.
(OSS)
To view entries for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Entries – Grand River Raceway.