by Karen Briggs, WEG media

Campbellville, ON — In the second of two nights of elims for the July 28th Canadian Breeders’ Championships, five fields of 3-year-old males duked it out on Saturday night (July 21) at Mohawk, and at night’s end, it was geldings: 3, colts: 2.

In the first of two elims for trotters, Brad Maxwell trainee Celtic Warrior charged immediately to the lead from the inside post and led wire-to-wire to win in a career-best 1:56, holding off Beer Budget (trained by Chris Beaver) and Hallo (Rene Laarman), who crossed the finish line third but was placed eighth for having veered inside three consecutive pylons. Fourth-place finisher Australian Stock, conditioned by Jimmy Takter, was awarded the check for third in the C$37,624 elimination.

“I don’t think he’s the best in the division, but he is the type that can be heard from,” said winning driver Steve Condren of Celtic Warrior, who is owned by Ecuries Daniel Plouffe Inc. and Jean C. Dessureault. “He’s had to work through some bumps and bruises along the way this year. Last week I raced him, and I wish I would have been able to keep the front end. I made a point of getting the lead tonight and he raced well. I don’t know if he’s ever cut a mile before; he was looking for other horses late in the mile.”

In the first of three divisions for the pacers, Bigtime Ball, a gelded son of Presidential Ball, made a late charge to overtake a tiring Along Came Polly, with a similar move by Transcending being good enough for second. Bigtime Ball completed the mile in a career-best 1:51.2 with a final quarter in :27 flat.

“I wasn’t overly confident, but there were six or seven that left the gate hard,” said driver Paul MacDonell. “They went a first quarter in :26.1, so I took him off and chased them down late. He’s just a super colt right now.”

Bigtime Ball, who was unraced as a 2-year-old, is owned and trained by Gord Irwin.

40-1 longshot Super Chuck surprised in the second CBC trot elimination, blasting past favorite Laddie (who was second, but placed third thanks to a detour inside two consecutive pylons) and Chelemark Porter, who bumped up from third to second thanks to Laddie’s traffic difficulties. Time for the mile was 1:56.3.

Said linesman Chris Christoforou, “(Super Chuck) tied up a bit last week, and his trainer (Rob Fellows) thought he’d be better tonight. This was the first time I’ve ever driven him. Halfway down the lane I thought I had a good chance. I just got by Laddie in deep stretch. My colt raced very good.”

But, he cautioned, “Laddie is the kind of horse that can bounce back and be better next week.”

Super Chuck is a gelded son of Striking Sahbra, owned by Pam Wagner.

Nine more 3-year-old pacers went postward in race six, with gelding Windsun Ben and driver Steve Condren prevailing by three-quarters of a length over favorite Domitian Hanover, in a front-end trip in 1:52.1. In The Irons held on for third.

“It feels great to win; he’s a colt that I raised,” said co-owner Stephen Scarff of Windsun Ben, who is by Apaches Fame out of an Abercrombie mare. “He started the season well, but he hasn’t been as good recently. He came down with a virus and some allergies. We moved the colt from trainer Bob Young to Murray Brethour so the colt could get turned out at his farm. He seemed to be that much better tonight.”

And in the final of the five CBC elims, Randy Waples piloted Twin B Survivor (Apaches Fame-What An Attitude) to a 1-1/2 length win over Deuces And Jacks in a career-best 1:51.4. Bob McIntosh trainee Cam Cool was third.

This was the first win of 2007 for Twin B Survivor, who is trained and co-owned by Jack Darling, along with Daniel W. Smith and Brad Gray. Said Darling, “I was really happy with him tonight. He just hasn’t had any racing luck this season. He came back on schedule this year, but he got sick after I qualified him at the start of the year.

“He’s a pleasure and hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s a good feeling horse and a professional. I think he needs a trip to win. The other two elimination winners are nice colts.”

The top five finishers from each of the two trot elims will go on to the Canadian Breeders’ Championship final for 3-year-old trotting colts at Mohawk on July 28. On the pacing side, the top three finishers, plus one fourth-place finisher to be drawn, will find themselves in the final.

Here are the fields:

Colt Pace Final
1. Windsun Ben
2. Bigtime Ball
3. Twin B Survivor
4. Domitian Hanover
5. Cam Cool
6. Along Came Polly
7. In The Irons
8. Transcending
9. Swinging Grin
10. Deuces N Jacks

Colt Trot Final
1. Supreme Council
2. Celtic Warrior
3. Super Chuck
4. Australian Stock
5. Beer Budget
6. Guilford
7. Passito
8. Packin
9. Chelemark Porter
10. Laddie