from the Ontario Sire Stakes

Campbellville, ON — It was an evening of upsets at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday (June 29) as the province’s top 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings competed in a pair of $85,050 Ontario Sire Stakes Gold Series divisions.

Lightly regarded Big Moment and driver Trevor Henry kicked things off in the first division, sprinting down the stretch to nab pacesetter J Js Delivery in a photo finish. Just a nose separated Big Moment, J Js Delivery and Mr Carrotts, with all three colts hitting the wire in 1:51.2. Fan favorite Go Daddy Go, Big Moment’s stablemate in the Bob McIntosh barn, finished one length back in fifth after spending much of the mile in the outer lane.

“He’s got one real fast brush to him,” said Henry after the race. “You can use it in the middle of the mile or late in the mile. Tonight it worked out better late in the mile.”

Starting from post eight, Henry and Big Moment sat near the back of the field through much of the race, closing from sixth at the top of the stretch to claim their first Gold Series win. A regular competitor on the Grassroots circuit last season, with two wins and a fourth-place result in the year-end championship, Big Moment made his Gold Series debut in the May 29 season opener at Western Fair, finishing fourth.

“They qualified him, I think it was three times, and he just got better and better,” noted Henry, who drives the homebred son of Camluck for Hall of Fame horseman McIntosh and his partner Max Newham. “He’s a nice big horse.”

Monday’s victory boosted Big Moment’s sophomore record to two wins, one second and one third in six starts for earnings of $60,498.

New Image Media photo

Rick Zeron piloted 3-year-old pacing colt Drachan Hanover to a 1:50.2 Gold Series victory.

While not an upset of the same magnitude, the other Gold division saw second choice Drachan Hanover reel in heavy favorite Physicallyinclined in the stretch.

Starting from post six, driver Rick Zeron fired Drachan Hanover to the front before the :26.2 quarter, but allowed Physicallyinclined and driver Paul MacDonell to take over heading for the :55 half. Content to follow the favorite through the 1:23 three-quarters, Zeron waited until the top of the stretch to ask his colt for another gear. Drachan Hanover responded in impressive fashion, sailing home to a 1:50.2 personal best. Physicallyinclined settled for second, 1-3/4 lengths behind the winner, with Robert Hill well back in third.

“He got a little excited last week in the consolation of the North America Cup. He had the rail, and I was trying to rate him into the gate, and he threw his head in the air and I lost him, so (trainer) Marcel Barrieau did some changes on him and he said he’d be better tonight,” said Zeron after the race. “Marcel did a great job with him and the colt was right on point tonight.

“I knew we had a big hill to climb to beat Physicallyinclined, Paul MacDonell’s, but I thought if I could stay close to him I’d have a shot at him at the head of the lane, so it was a picture perfect race. He’s a great horse, he’s a great colt.”

The win was the first in five starts for Drachan Hanover, who was the number two colt in the freshman pacing division last season with one Gold leg win and a runner-up result in the Super Final. Barrieau trains the Jereme’s Jet son for Lloyd MacLean and Kenneth Rankin, who offered up a modest $4,500 to acquire the colt at the 2013 Standardbred Horse Sale.

“He was a real good horse last year, he just needed to put a few things together,” noted Zeron. “He’s full of himself this colt.

“He’s getting better and stronger every week. In the Somebeachsomewhere I told Marcel that I’d like to race him up near the front end and he gave me the green light to go, and he got a little tired coming for home and two horses got by him,” Zeron continued. “We drew bad in the NA Cup elimination, lost him in the Consolation, so it’s quite rewarding having him bounce back tonight going for C$105,000. He’s back on track now and hopefully we don’t have to have any more bumps in the road.”

Like Big Moment, Drachan Hanover finished fourth in the May 29 season opener and their wins on Monday put the pair at the top of the 3-year-old pacing colt standings with 58 points. The duo will have to wait until July 25 to add to their point tally, when the sophomore pacing colts return to Mohawk Racetrack for their third Gold Leg.

Next up on the action-packed Mohawk Racetrack Ontario Sires Stakes calendar are the 3-year-old trotting colts, who will battle in a pair of Gold legs on Tuesday (June 30).