by Sandra Snyder
Campbellville, ON — When the two-year-old trotting colts meet at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday, Rick Zeron trainee Mill Work will be looking for his third straight Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final victory.
The Mr Lavec son delivered a personal best 1:57.4 triumph in the elimination round after a trio of lacklustre finishes in Stake events at the Campbellville oval, and Zeron is confident the colt has fully recovered from a virus that slowed him down following his August 27 Gold Final victory at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
“He was sick when he came back from Rideau Carleton and I just kind of raced him through it. He was getting over it, but he was also getting weak from the medication he was on,” says the Oakville resident. “He finished third in the Campbellville (Consolation, September 20) and felt stronger and then he bounced back the other day and raced really well.”
Leaving from post six in the elimination, Zeron left enough to land in fifth position with Mill Work and as the colt maintained his power through the mile the trainer-driver sent him after the win down the stretch.
“I left a little bit and he felt good, and we went past the half and he felt strong, so I caught up to the one in front,” says Zeron, who shares ownership on the winner of $130,994 with Leonard Tucker and Gestion Charest Ltee. of Montreal, Quebec and 9131 5929 Quebec Inc. of Lachenaie, Quebec.
A C$23,000 purchase at the Forest City Yearling Sale last fall, Mill Work caught Zeron’s eye because he bore more of a resemblance to his dam, Donerail daughter Lemons Mill, than his sire Mr Lavec.
“I liked that he had the Donerail look to him rather than the Lavec look,” recalls the horseman. “He had a long body and nice pasterns to him.”
Mill Work and Zeron will make their bid for a third Gold Final triumph from post two in the sixth race on Monday and the reinsman is expecting a hotly contested race.
“He drew very well and one of the ones I have to beat drew the three hole right beside me (Feeling Frazzled),” he says. “It’s laid out for a pretty good race.”
Following Monday’s Gold Final the two-year-old trotting colts face a month-long layoff before their last Gold Series event, October 30 and November 5 at Flamboro Downs.
Zeron is already focusing on the break, making plans to ensure that his protege does not have any further encounters with the equine flu.
“I’ll be careful with him. I don’t want him to get sick on me again,” he explains. “We’re going from summer to fall, to the colder weather and the rainy weather, and you’ve got to stay on top of them.”
Mohawk Racetrack sends its first race in behind the starting gate at 7:40 p.m. on Monday and the two-year-old trotting colts will light up the seven-eighths-mile oval in race six.
MOHAWK RACETRACK GOLD FINAL — MONDAY, OCTOBER 4
RACE 6 — C$130,000
Post – Horse – Sire – Driver – Trainer
1 – St Lads Speedy (Mr Lavec) M. Saftic P. Barkley
2 – Mill Work (Mr Lavec) R. Zeron R. Zeron
3 – Feeling Frazzled (Mr Lavec) R. Kinney R. Kinney
4 – Hudd (San Pellegrino) A. MacDonald A. MacDonald
5 – Ja El Abe (Incredible Abe) M. Langdon B. Shakes
6 – Stonebridge Diablo (Angus Hall) Ra. Waples Ro. Waples, Jr.
7 – Classic Lavec (Mr Lavec) P. MacDonell A. White
8 – Freewheel Hanover (Berndt Hanover) T.B.A. J. Gilchrist
9 – Last Flight Out (Angus Hall) J. Moiseyev S. Kerwood
10 – Dominant Kemp (Yankee Paco) R. Kinney R. Kinney
AE1 – Anahar Charlie (Earl) W. Cass W. Cass