by Ashley Mayotte – WEG Communications

Campbellville, ON — Mystician edged out Prodigal Seelster in a photo finish Saturday night in the C$130,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final for 3-year-old pacers at Mohawk Racetrack.

The Jeff Gillis pupil captured his third victory in 10 starts this year while lowering his lifetime mark to 1:49.2

Mystician (Jody Jamieson) took the sophomores to the opening quarter in :27. Sent off at 3-5, Twin B Legend (Paul MacDonell) came first-up from third and cleared before the half in :54.2 and held the front past the three-quarter marker in 1:22.

Prodigal Seelster (Scott Zeron) was next to make a move in the final turn, launching a first-over attack from in fourth, taking command in deep stretch. Jamieson angled Mystician out of the pocket to find racing room.

Prodigal Seelster and Mystician hit the wire together, but it was last year’s C$1 million Metro Pace winner who scored the victory by a nose. Twin B Legend finished third.

“I thought I got up last stride,” said Jamieson, following the win. “The last couple of starts he’s been disappointing. Jeff said he had a great week. He put the aluminum shoes on him and he has the Confederation Cup next week. He is just coming into the race really good.”

Jamieson, fresh off his victory in the 2011 World Driving Championship, was confident he was going to get to the wire first.

“Twin B Legend is a nice horse, he just didn’t have the right night,” he noted. “Mystician was on his game and running over everybody at the head of the stretch. Scott (Zeron with Prodigal Seelster) did a great job keeping me in until the last second until I could get over, off his back and Mystician did the rest from there. He just showed his true heart, a heart of a champion.”

The son of Camluck-Mystic Mistress has a lifetime record of 8-8-1 in 22 for owners Gillis, Ken Henwood, Mac Nichol and Gerald Stay.

The bay colt paid $6.30 to win as the second choice.