On Wednesday, September 28, Prodigal Seelster will return to Grand River Raceway for the first time since he set a track record winning the 2010 edition of the Battle Of Waterloo
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The three-year-old pacing colt returns to the Elora oval as the reigning Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final champion, and he will be looking to defend his title from Post 5 in the $170,000 contest.
“It will be his first time back at Grand River since the Battle Of Waterloo; it will be interesting to see how he does,” says owner Ken Ewen. “He did quite well at Flamboro, so we are expecting him to do just as well at Grand River, if all goes well.”
Georgetown, Ont. resident Ewen shares ownership of Prodigal Seelster with Larry Menary of Cheltenham, Ont., Denis Breton of Welland, Ont., and Double Or Nothing Stables of Hamilton, Ont. The longtime owner has not missed one of the colt’s 13 starts this season and has made the joyful walk out the winner’s circle on five occasions. The son of Camluck and Platinum Seelster has also tallied two seconds and three thirds for sophomore earnings of $327,422.
“I don’t think he’s ever not got a paycheque,” notes Ewen. “Fifth is the worst he’s been, but he’s usually in the top three.”
With just eight colts entering the Gold elimination, all eight were advanced directly to Wednesday’s Gold Final. Prodigal Seelster had been idle since winning the Sept. 1 Gold Final at Kawartha Downs, so when eliminations were not required, trainer David Menary sent the colt and stablemate Watermelonwine to qualify at Mohawk Racetrack on Sept. 20.
Prodigal Seelster stalked his stablemate through fractions of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:25.4 and then sprinted down the stretch to finish second by a nose in the 1:54.1 qualifier. Watermelonwine, who has not raced since winning the July 9 Gold Final at Georgian Downs, will be handicapped by the outside Post 8 in Wednesday’s ninth race.
For most of the season trainer Menary has felt Watermelonwine had the edge on Prodigal Seelster, but Ewen is hoping driver Scott Zeron can put the colt’s half-mile skills and post position to good use in Wednesday’s head-to-head competition.
“He started off this year maybe not as good as we expected, but he’s certainly been on a roll in his last four or five starts,” says Ewen. “His last race at Kawartha, I almost couldn’t believe it. I was saying to myself, 'Scott, slow down, you don’t have to win by that much.’”
Prodigal Seelster hit the wire 11 and one-half lengths ahead of his peers in the Sept. 1 Gold Final, and his 1:50.1 clocking established a new Kawartha Downs track record. Prior to that outing, the colt’s quickest mile this season was a 1:50.2 triumph over the Flamboro Downs half-mile in his Aug. 14 Confederation Cup elimination.
“I’ve been in the business for quite a while and Prodigal is probably the best horse I’ve ever had,” says Ewen.
“The last few years I have only bought Ontario-sired horses. I don’t like trucking all over the States to race them, and the program we’ve got is so good,” adds the owner. “And if you get a horse like Prodigal, he’s competitive with the American horses.”
Wednesday’s ninth race will feature the three-year-old pacing colt showdown, with Grand River Raceway’s first race parading onto the half-mile oval at 7:10 p.m.
Before the colts’ roll in behind the starting gate, fans are invited to place their Win The Thrill ballot in the box belonging to the horse they believe will win. One finalist will be selected from each ballot box, earning a shot at one of five prizes at Grand River Raceway on Wednesday, and a chance at the Grand Prize -- a share in the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association’s (SBOA) New Owner Mentoring Program.
The Grand Prize draw will be held at Mohawk Racetrack on the Oct. 1 Grassroots Championship Night, and the lucky winner will join the other eight members of the SBOA New Owner Group and mentor Brian Webster in the ownership of Ontario-sired pacing colt Bad Boy Matt, who will be trained by Tony O’Sullivan in hopes of competing in the 2012-2013 Ontario Sires Stakes program. Ballots and details are available in the official Grand River Raceway program.
To view Wednesday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Wednesday Entries - Grand River Raceway.
(OSS)