by Ashley Mayotte, WEG communications

Campbellville, ON — Eleven sophomore colt and gelding pacers contested a pair of Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations on Saturday night (July 30) at Mohawk Racetrack.

In the first OSS Gold elimination, it was the Jack Darling-trained Twin B Legend who found his way to the winner’s circle for the third time this year in six outings.

Celebrity Citation (Mark MacDonald) was first to the quarter-pole in :26.4, but before the half, he made a break. Machal Jackson (J. R. Plante) inherited the lead, clocking the half in :55.2.

Driver Paul MacDonell pulled the 4-5 favorite, Twin B Legend, from the pocket and cleared to the front before the final turn. The pair hit the three-quarters in 1.22.2 and got under the wire in a career-best clocking of 1:49.4, 1-3/4 lengths over Mystician (Randy Waples). Celebrity Citation came back on for third.

“He was really good, strong right to the wire,” said MacDonell, following the victory. “(Celebrity Citation) made a break in the backstretch, which caused a little interference. I wasn’t sure what was happening at that point, but once he got around that he sailed right on. Halfway down the lane it didn’t look like he (Mystician) was gaining on him so at that point I was pretty confident.”

The 3-year-old son of Mach Three-What An Attitude has a lifetime record of 6-4-0 in 17 starts and career earnings of C$214,013 for owner Jack Darling Stables Ltd of Cambridge, Ontario. Twin B Legend paid $3.60 to win.

The David Menary-trained and Scott Zeron-driven Prodigal Seelster captured the second elimination, notching his second victory of the season in eight outings.

Prodigal Seelster took the field to a :26.3 opening panel, but a parked out Bullet Speed (Randy Waples) made a bid for the front and cleared before the half, holding the lead through fractions of :54.3 and 1:23.3.

Into the stretch, Zeron angled Prodigal Seelster from the pocket to re-take the lead to win by a head, stopping the timer in 1:50.4. Bullet Speed finished second and Cam B Zipper (Mark MacDonald) was third.

“I was really happy with him,” said Zeron, following the win. “Last week I power-moved him to the front, he just got a little weak late on me, but he does have that burst of speed. I was able to keep that sitting in the two-hole and use it just in the last eighth of a mile and he gave me everything that he had.”

The Oakville resident feels good about heading into next week’s final.

“The other elimination winner, Twin B Legend, raced really, really well and we were a whole second off of his time, but I am really confident in my horse,” said Zeron. “He went across the wire with some left.”

The son of Camluck-Platinum Seelster has a lifetime record of 8-1-3 in 18 starts and boasts career earnings of C$600,477 for owners Larry Menary, Denis Breton, Kenneth Ewen and Double Or Nothing Stables. The 3-year-old bay paid $4.50 to win.

The top 10 finishers advance to the C$130,000 OSS Gold Final on Saturday, August 6. Here’s how the boys will line up behind the gate for the rich final: 1. Twin B Legend, 2. Prodigal Seelster, 3. Thats The Life, 4. Celebrity Citation, 5. Mach Of Ballykeel, 6. Mystician, 7. Machal Jackson, 8. Cam B Zipper, 9. Drain Daddy, 10. Bullet Speed, AE. Calgary Seelster.