by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

CAMPBELLVILLE, July 22, 2006 – Five Canadian Breeders Championship (CBC) eliminations for three-year-old colts and geldings of both gaits were contested Saturday evening at Mohawk.

After the last elim was contested, the fields for the two finals were drawn.

Brief synopses of each elim are listed below, followed by the draw results for the two finals, which will be contested Saturday, July 29 over the Campbellville seven-eighths of a mile oval.

Colt & Gelding Trot – Elim #1

Purse: C$37,614

It was simply the Majestic Son ($2.70, $2.60, $2.30) show in the first of the trot elims, as the Angus Hall ridgling disposed of his rivals on the final turn and put on quite a display in the stretch, trotting off to a whopping 18-length victory in 1:52.4 for driver Trevor Ritchie and trainer Mark Steacy.

The mile was a personal best for the career winner of nine races, who just missed equaling Mohawk’s track record for the class (1:52.3, Classic Photo, 2005) by one-fifth of a second.

“This horse has got a ton of talent,” said Ritchie, who has sat behind more than a fair share of the sport’s top trotting stars. “He’s a three-year-old, he went in [1]:52.4 there, and really, if I would’ve asked him to go, I know there was more in the tank, so I’d have to rank him right up there [with the best ones].”

Ritchie had let his competition slug it out before the half, as there were multiple lead changes after the :27.3 opening quarter and before the 56-second half-mile indicator.

Majestic Son had come with a first-over rush prior to the second call, cleared shortly thereafter and simply took off on his foes, en route to the resounding score.

With Jack Moiseyev at his controls, Breaking Benjamin ($11.60, $8.70) finished second and bottomed the $22.40 exactor, while Distant Memories ($14.00) and driver Mike Saftic finished third, completing the $445.40 triactor.

It was the fourth win in seven starts this year for Majestic Son, the 2006 Goodtimes Stakes victor, who is owned by the Majestic Son Stable of Lansdowne, Ontario.

Little Joey Angus (driven by Rick Zeron) and Yorktown Gunner (Thomas Durand) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, thus gaining entrance to next week’s final.

Colt & Gelding Trot – Elim #2

Purse: C$37,614

Dr Robert Johns ($12.10, $5.70, $3.70) originally finished second behind Was It A Dream ($2.80, $2.40) in the second of the trot elims, but was promoted to the win position after the Was It A Dream was placed back to second after a lapped-on break under the wire.

Was It A Dream, who ended up completing the $32.60 exactor, had stopped the clock in 1:55.4 while making the break in stride and Dr Robert John was just about a neck in arrears under the wire.

Strider ($2.80) and pilot Roger Mayotte finished third, beaten 1¾ lengths, and bottomed the $165.10 triactor.

“It was only his second start back [this year], and in his first one he made a break behind the gate,” Christoforou said about Dr Robert Johns, a son of Balanced Image, “so this was really sort of his first start. It was an excellent effort on his behalf and I couldn’t have asked for more than that.”

Armbro Doyle (driven by Randy Waples) and Campbell Hall (Steve Condren) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and thus gained entrance to the final.

Dr Robert John, who notched his third career victory in his 11th overall start, is trained by Anders Wolden, who co-owns the colt along with Kathrine Moi of Moffat, Ontario.

The opening quarter had been cut in :27.4, Was It A Dream took control after the :57.2 half-mile pole and then proceeded to click off the 1:26.2 three-quarters stanza. Dr Robert Johns had come first-over from third on the final turn, the eventual winning move.

Colt & Gelding Pace – Elim #1

Purse: C$40,685

Eagle Luck ($3.80, $3.10, $2.30) and driver Luc Ouellette hung on for slim victory in the first of the pace elims, as the Gregg McNair trainee got the nod by a head in a mile timed 1:52-flat.

After sitting on the rail for the duration of their trip, Impeccable ($5.20, $4.30) and pilot Randy Waples were dynamite in the late stages, as the pair worked out some racing room in the final strides and just missed getting the biggest check of all, but settled to bottom the $20.80 exactor.

After coming first-over on the final turn, Tuck ($4.80) and reinsman Jody Jamieson finished third, beaten 1½ length, rounding out the $90.70 triactor.

Mister Big (driven by Phil Hudon) and Secluded Island (Roger Mayotte) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and gained entrance to next week’s final.

Ouellette and Eagle Luck, a Camluck colt, worked out a two-hole trip through the 27-second opening quarter-mile and took over the lead before the well-rated :56.1 half-mile. The duo cruised past the third stanza in 1:24.4, but had to fight it out somewhat in the lane, something that the speedy bay is more than capable of doing.

“I thought we had enough of a breather,” said Ouellette, “but sometime when there is a lot of rain here [on the track] the speed is not as good for certain horses.

“I don’t think you’ve seen his best. I think he’s better than what he showed tonight, but he was good enough to beat them.”

With the win, Eagle Luck notched his seventh career win for owner Frank Dettore of North Ridgeville, Ontario.

Two starts back at Sarnia, Ontario’s Hiawatha Horse Park, a five-eighths of a mile oval, Eagle Luck torched the track with a 1:50 mile.

Colt & Gelding Pace – Elim #2

Purse: C$40,685

The small-but-powerful Doonbeg ($5.10, $2.70, $2.30) displayed his patented late kick for pilot Jody Jamieson in the second of the pace elims, as the Camluck colt mowed down the pacesetting Mr Feelgood ($2.50, $2.70) and driver Mark MacDonald in the lane for a half-length victory in a sharp 1:51.1.

Doonbeg topped an $11.30 exactor, and spearheaded the $42.30 triactor with Nates Got A Grin ($3.60), who was driven by Steve Condren and was beaten 3½ lengths.

Mr Feelgood had been parked-out beyond the 27-second opening quarter and cleared shortly after. The Grinfromeartoear colt proceeded to cut the middle fractions in :56.1 and 1:24.1, respectively, before he was passed by Doonbeg in late-stretch.

Jamieson had worked out a second-over trip for Doonbeg along the final turn and shot home with flashy speed to haul down Mr Feelgood.

“I don’t know what to say about him,” Jamieson said, “he’s a very special horse. Every time you move him over off a helmet he just flies. Nothing was different tonight. I moved him over and he just dug right through the wire.”

Jim “Friday” Dean trains Doonbeg for Scott and Clay Harland Horner of Ontario and Florida’s Torlando Farms Inc.

From the effort, the colt notched his ninth career win from what was his 17th overall start.

Paper Luck (driven by Luc Ouellette) and Windsong Cruiser (Jack Moiseyev) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and gained entrance to the final.

Here are the fields for the two finals:

C$175,534 Canadian Breeders Championship

Colt & Gelding Trot

Post Position – Horse – Listed Driver

1 – Strider – R. Mayotte

2 – Little Joey Angus – R. Zeron

3 – Dr Robert Johns – C. Christoforou

4 – Was It A Dream – P. MacDonell

5 – Distant Memories – M. Saftic

6 – Armbro Doyle – Ra. Waples

7 – Majestic Son – T. Ritchie

8 – Campbell Hall – S. Condren

9 – Breaking Benjamin – J. Moiseyev

10 – Yorktown Gunner – T. Durand

AE1 – Mr Lemon – J. Jamieson

AE2 – Avenger Seelster – J. Jamieson

C$189,866 Canadian Breeders Championship

Colt & Gelding Pace

Post Position – Horse – Listed Driver

1 – Secluded Island – R. Mayotte

2 – Mister Big – Ph. Hudon

3 – Mr Feelgood – Ma. MacDonald

4 – Doonbeg – J. Jamieson

5 – Nates Got A Grin – S. Condren

6 – Eagle Luck – L. Ouellette

7 – Tuck – J. Jamieson

8 – Impeccable – Ra. Waples

9 – Paper Luck – L. Ouellette

10 – Windsong Cruiser – J. Moiseyev

AE1 – Glitter For Prez – Ra. Waples

AE2 – Alastor Hanover – Ma. MacDonald