by Sandra Snyder, for the Ontario Sires Stakes

Rexdale, ON — Keystone Horatio will be looking to defend his Gold Final title at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday evening, October 15, but win, lose, or draw, the 2-year-old pacing colt has already accomplished far more than breeder George Hempt expected when the Harrisburg Yearling Sale rejected the youngster last fall.

“I had him consigned to the Harrisburg Sale, both him and Keystone Titan, and they turned them down,” recalls Hempt. “Their conformation was as good as you can expect, so I think they turned them down on breeding.”

Keystone Horatio is by Rustler Hanover and is the first foal of Shady Character mare Keystone Havoc, while his stablemate Keystone Titan is by Mr Lavec and out of Balanced Image mare Trista Seelster. Once he knew the pair were not going to Harrisburg, Hempt asked trainer Todd Schadel to teach the colts their early lessons and evaluate their potential as racehorses. Schadel advised Hempt to keep both colts, trained them through to their first qualifiers in late May, and then sent the pair to Ontario trainer John Kopas.

“You know, Todd is kind of conservative and cautious, and he said he didn’t know how good they were, but he said they were nice horses,” notes Hempt, who makes his home in Camp Hill, Pa.

Once the pair arrived at Kopas’ barn, the Campbellville resident worked with them for a couple of weeks and then sent them out to qualify at Mohawk Racetrack on June 15. Trotting colt Keystone Titan delivered an impressive win, while Keystone Horatio finished sixth. Three weeks later Kopas qualified the pair for a second time; once again Keystone Titan was an effortless winner, while Keystone Horatio finished sixth.

Keystone Titan went on to win the season opening Gold elimination and final at Grand River Raceway, and Keystone Horatio stepped up his game with a second and a third in the pacing colt season opener at Mohawk Racetrack, then claimed a 1:55.4 victory at Grand River in his July 30 Battle of Waterloo elimination.

“I kind of liked him real well, but I kept my opinion quiet,” says Hempt of Keystone Horatio. “Then one day Jack (Kopas) was up and watched him race, and he said, ‘You know, one of these times he’s going to whip that bunch,’ and father knew what he was talking about.”

Since that Battle of Waterloo win, Keystone Horatio has added four more victories, one second and one fourth to his freshman resume. In 10 starts the colt has never finished worse than fifth, and he has banked a cool $321,146. Among his victories are two Gold eliminations, including last week’s 1:51 Ontario Sires Stakes record performance at Mohawk, the September 30 Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway, and a division of the September 15 Nassagaweya Stakes at Mohawk.

“It seems like every start he’s getting better,” says Hempt, who will be on hand this Monday when the colt attempts to defend his title — and extend his three-race win streak — from post six in the fifth race, lining up alongside two-time Gold Final winner Deuce Seelster.

“I’ve been up more often that not. I missed him last week, but I think that’s the only one I’ve missed,” adds Hempt. “When you have one like him, and the way Randy (Waples) drives him, it makes a lot of fun out of it.”

Hempt has had so many horses racing in Ontario over the past few years, he moved a travel trailer into a campground just a few miles from Mohawk. This weekend he will arrive Friday afternoon in time to watch 2-year-old pacing colt Keystone Debonair compete in a Grassroots event at Flamboro Downs, attend the Forest City Yearling Sale in London on Saturday and Sunday, and then catch Keystone Horatio’s Gold Final on Monday evening before heading back to Pennsylvania.

Post time at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday, October 15 is 7:40 p.m., with the exciting 2-year-old pacing colts slated to face-off in race five.

Woodbine Racetrack Gold Final — Race 5 — C$130,000
Post – Horse (Sire) – Driver – Trainer
1 – The Life Boat (Grinfromeartoear) – J. Jamieson – P. Reid
2 – Dougs Fame (Apaches Fame) – M. MacDonald – G. McNair
3 – Believeinbruiser (Mach Three) – R. Zeron – L. Eftimiadis
4 – The Mohegan Pan (No Pan Intended) – S. Condren – R. McIntosh
5 – Go West Young Cam (Camluck) – Ra. Waples – R. McIntosh
6 – Keystone Horatio (Rustler Hanover) – Ra. Waples – J. Kopas
7 – Deuce Seelster (Western Maverick) – P. MacDonell – D. McCall
8 – Lennon Blue Chip (No Pan Intended) – L. Ouellette – B. Teague
9 – Lucky Man (Camluck) – M. MacDonald – C. Coleman
10 – Fun Of The Game (Grinfromeartoear) – M. Saftic – J. Pentland
AE1 – Romantic Thriller (Mach Three) – J. Moiseyev – S. Kerwood
AE2 – Cameo (Camluck) – L. Ouellette – D. Marfisi
AE3 – Whitesand MacGyver (Camluck) – M. Baillargeon – G. Hebert