by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Campbellville, ON — Dr. Ian Moore, whose outstanding 2-year-olds Malicious and Wellthereyougo have drawn into the first and second eliminations for the upcoming Metro Pace (September 5 at Mohawk), says it best: Playtime is over for these colts. It’s time to step up their game.

It was only a few short months ago that these precocious pacers were making their debut in baby races, but with C$1 million on the line, Saturday’s (Aug. 29) trio of C$40,000 eliminations couldn’t be more serious.

Thirty youngsters have their eyes on that seven-digit prize, so getting into the final is going to be no walk in the park. Moore’s Wellthereyougo, a son of Camluck who was a $45,000 yearling purchase, has drawn into a particularly tough division: he’ll be up against Casie Coleman’s unbeaten Sportswriter, a winner of a Nassagaweya division last week in a blistering 1:50.4, as well as George and Brenda Teague’s Delmarvalous, who was second by a head in that race and who had previously been flawless in three career starts.

“We might see a bit of a speed duel in that split,” Moore allows. “In a way I wish he could have had some more time off going into this but when there’s an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final 20 minutes down the road from you (at Flamboro Downs, August 16), it’s hard to say no.”

The colt, who is now a veteran of seven starts, with five wins and a second, won that C$130,000 Gold event by a handy three-quarters of a length, but Moore hopes that the transition from a half-mile oval to Mohawk’s more expansive seven-eighths-mile will fall under the “a change is as good as a rest” category for Wellthereyougo.

New Image Media photo

Dr. Ian Moore will be sending Malicious into Saturday’s Metro Pace eliminations.

Malicious, who Moore acknowledges is the more charismatic of the two youngsters, has avoided some of the big guns on Saturday by drawing into the second of the three eliminations. The Bettor’s Delight colt, who has yet to taste defeat in six career starts, has also had the good fortune to draw post position one, which Moore says is a welcome change.

“I’ve gotten so I don’t even want to look (at the draw); we’ve gotten the nine or 10 hole so many times I can’t count them, especially with (2008 Little Brown Jug champion) Shadow Play. But it looks like we’ve drawn pretty good for once.”

As for Shadow Play, he has drawn post three in the single elimination for the C$700,000 Canadian Pacing Derby, also on Saturday night, but his participation will depend on his soundness. Plagued by foot problems all season, Shadow Play is currently operating with only one of his two right front heel bulbs.

“I’ll jog him on Thursday morning and we’ll see. I was hoping he might not have to go in the elimination because he really could use one more week. But he is as tough as nails, so if he feels good we’ll go.”

The eliminations for the C$1 million Metro Pace are carded as races four, five, and nine on a stakes-studded August 29 program which will also feature four eliminations for the C$700,000 She’s A Great Lady Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies.