Just another night on the town for Duly Resolved

Milton, ON — Duly Resolved has won all four races he has entered, but trainer John Bax still gets nervous every time the 2-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.”

Duly Resolved strolled around Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:56.3 to record his third Gold Series victory. New Image Media photo.

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 engineered the victory, leaving smartly from post eight with the favorite and controlled the tempo through fractions of :28.2, :58.4 and 1:28.3. Duly Resolved cruised home a 1-1/4 length winner under minimal urging. Kipper Whipr Snipr and Star Power Hanover closed well to be second and third, respectively.

The race was delayed while Fight 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 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 $239,589 in her career, almost all of it earned in her 3-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 $102,925.

Bax Stable, Don Allensen, Gaelic Stable, and David Hudson 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 $55,786 second Gold division, Safe Conduct made his Ontario Sires Stakes debut from post four and after sitting fifth for much of the race he sprinted home in :27.3 to claim a neck victory over favorite Twin B Archie and pacesetter Esplosione. The colt stopped the teletimer at 1:55.1 in just his second lifetime start.

“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 driver crafted the victory for his wife, trainer Camilla Christoforou, his father, Charalambos Christoforou and Storfer’s Banjo Farms. The elder Christoforou and Banjo Farms also bred the son of Archangel and their former race mare Safekeeping.

Red Overbach added a Gold Series blanket to his collection in the $55,787 last division. Starting from post seven with Jody Jamieson in the 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-Dixieland Jazz son trotted under the wire in a personal best 1:56.3. Luca Hanover finished 1-1/4 lengths back in second and fan favorite Lexus Ranger completed the top three.

“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.”

Crone harnessed Red Overbach, who was a winner in Grassroots action on July 15, on behalf of Carl Jamieson, Thomas Kyron and breeder Dr. Robert Boyce.

All three of Thursday’s winners are eligible to the 2-year-old trotting colt open stakes that get underway 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.

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