Two-year-old Southwind Lustre gelding Mopey Corey, who is on top of his divisional category in points and overall earnings, will look to pad that total en route to the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final - but not before hitting the auction block in Saturday's Fall Extravaganza Mixed Sale.
The Fall Extravaganza Mixed Sale will take place Saturday, November 1 in the newly-refurbished sales pavilion at Flamboro Downs in Dundas, ON. The sale will get underway at 10:00 a.m.
With a record of three wins, three second-place finishes and one third-place effort from nine starts, Mopey Corey has earned $146,800 for owner-driver Anthony MacDonald, who believes that the youngster is even better than what his slate shows.
Mopey Corey will have an opportunity to prove his owner right this Saturday night at Woodbine Racetrack, where he has drawn Post 3 in the last of a trio of OSS Gold eliminations.
"I legitimately think that he'll be a top three-year-old," MacDonald told Trot Insider. "To be completely fair to the horse, I've over-driven him in some of races this year. If I would've been a little less aggressive in some of those races he'd have even more points in the Ontario program and even more money made."
Two of Mopey Corey's victories have come in OSS Gold elims. This summer, the gelding finished second by a half-length in the OSS Gold final at Kawartha Downs. Just weeks later, Mopey Corey finished second by the same margin yet again in a Gold final at Grand River Raceway. Another of the gelding's solid performances this year came -- you guessed it -- in a Gold final at Mohawk Racetrack on August 25.
"Anyone that has seen this horse close up will tell you that he can sprint like a pacer for a good bit -- that is one of the problems I've had with him," MacDonald explained. "Nobody can sprint with him -- that's the biggest thing he has going for him.
"In some of his races I have driven him like you would a normal two-year-old. I had expected to have to ask him for trot in some of his races, but after doing so, I realized he didn't need the urging -- the horse just wanted to go on his own. With that being said, I think I have over-driven him at times and in turn sold him short. He could have more money and more OSS points to his credit as we speak."
MacDonald explained that it is tough to part with a trotter the likes of Mopey Corey, but that he is excited to see the bay show off in the ring. Mopey Corey has been catalogued as hip number 132. "He's never had a lameness issue; never a pimple or even ever taken a lame step. And conformation-wise, he's perfect.
"If you were to make up a checklist of the different things you would like to see in a two-year-old, he's got them all. He can leave the gate well, race well covered up or cutting it out. If anyone is looking to invest their money in a high-quality horse, he's the one."
To view the entries for Saturday's OSS Gold elims at Woodbine, click here.