Duly Resolved has won all four races he has entered, but trainer John Bax still gets nervous every time the two-year-old trotting gelding steps onto the racetrack.
“I’m pretty nervous watching him race. I don’t know how much is there, so far it’s been enough, but I don’t know,” said Bax. “I don’t even know if he knows what he’s doing out there. He looks like he’s just out for a stroll.”
The gelding strolled around Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:56.3 to record his third Gold Series victory, and his fourth straight win, on Thursday, Aug. 19. Paul MacDonell of Guelph, ON engineered the victory, leaving smartly from Post 8 with the favourite and controlling the tempo through fractions of :28.2, :58.4 and 1:28.3. Duly Resolved cruised home a one and one-quarter length winner under minimal urging. Killer Whipr Snipr and Star Power Hanover closed well to be second and third. (Replay: Duly Resolved)
The race was delayed while Flight Song visited the Woodbine Mohawk Park blacksmith to have a shoe replaced after the post parade, but the extra time out on the racetrack did not faze Duly Resolved.
“He’s pretty relaxed out there, isn’t he. He’s just out there, it’s just a night out for him,” said Campbellville resident Bax. “His sister (Bright Eyes M) wasn’t that easy when you were out there, but he handled it pretty well.”
Bax trained the gelding’s Kadabra half-sister Bright Eyes M to earnings of $318,637 in her career, almost all of it earned in her three-year-old season. Bax offered up $30,000 for Duly Resolved at last fall’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and the son of Resolve and former Gold Series winner Motown Muscle has already earned $127,933.
Bax Stables of Campbellville, Don Allensen of Wyoming, Gaelic Stable of Sharon, ON, and David Hudson of Dallas, TX share ownership on Duly Resolved and most of the partners were on hand for his fourth victory.
“All the grandkids were here tonight and even the guy that’s farthest away, David Hudson, he’s in Dallas, so he didn’t come, but his brother represented him, so everybody was represented,” said Bax. “We’re just enjoying the ride.”
In the second $69,733 Gold division, Safe Conduct made his Ontario Sires Stakes debut from Post 4 and after sitting fifth for much of the race he sprinted home in :27.3 to claim a neck victory over favourite Twin B Archie and pacesetter Esplosione. The colt stopped the teletimer at 1:55.1 in just his second lifetime start. (Replay:Safe Conduct)
“He was a nice colt training down. Camilla was confident in his ability from the beginning,” said driver Chris Christoforou. “He raced great tonight. I’m very happy for his owners, my father and his long-time partner Irving Storfer.”
The Campbellville resident crafted the victory for his wife, trainer Camilla Christoforou, his father Charalambos Christoforou of Campbellville and Storfer’s Banjo Farms of Toronto. The elder Christoforou and Banjo Farms also bred the son of Archangel and their former race mare Safe Keeping.
Red Overbach added a Gold Series blanket to his collection in the last $69,734 division. Starting from Post 7 with Guelph resident Jody Jamieson in the race bike, Red Overbach left well and was in command just after the :29.1 quarter. Unchallenged through a :59 half and 1:28.1 three-quarters, the Royalty For Life son trotted under the wire in a personal best 1:56.3. Luca Hanover finished one and one-quarter lengths back in second and fan favourite Lexus Ranger completed the top three. (Replay: Red Overbach)
“My parents went to the East coast for three weeks and left the horses in the capable hands of Anthony Haughan and Meg Crone,” said Jamieson. “He trotted brilliantly tonight and won in a life’s mark.”
Cambridge resident Crone harnessed Red Overbach, who was a winner in Grassroots action on July 15, for his Gold Series debut on behalf of Carl Jamieson of Puslinch, Thomas Kyron of Toronto and breeder Dr. Robert Boyce of London, ON.
All three of Thursday’s winners are eligible to the two-year-old trotting colt open stakes that get under way at Woodbine Mohawk Park next week. The Champlain Stakes go postward Thursday, Aug. 26, eliminations for the William Wellwood Memorial Trot are one week later, on Sept. 2, and the final is Saturday, Sept. 11. The trio will return to Gold Series action on Sept. 18 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Complete results from Thursday evening’s program are available here and replays can be viewed on Woodbine Mohawk Park’s YouTube channel.
Ontario Sires Stakes action continues Friday (Aug. 20) at Woodbine Mohawk Park with the third Gold Series Leg for the two-year-old trotting fillies and the fourth Grassroots Leg for the three-year-old pacing colts. The fillies will compete for $100,000-plus in Races 2 and 7 and the pacing colts will battle for $23,850 in Races 3, 5, and 11. Fans can download a program and watch the live stream on the Woodbine Mohawk Park website or register to attend in person at https://woodbine.com/mohawk/guest-registration/.
(Photo of Paul MacDonell and Duly Resolved courtesy New Image Media)
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