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Milton, ON --- Grey skies parted to reveal a double rainbow and Ontario Sires Stakes hopefuls evolved into Gold Series winners as the 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings made their provincial debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday evening (July 16).


Capturing the first $39,672 Gold Series division was Lifetime Royalty and driver Doug McNair, who eased away from post seven and used a late sprint to propel them to a 1-1/4 length victory in 2:01. Fan favorite Knight Angel also closed well over the rain-soaked surface to be second, while pocket-sitter Isnt He An Angel was third.


“We paid for him to be a good colt, and he trained down like a good horse all winter. I was always very high on him,” said trainer Scott McEneny, who offered up $100,000 for the youngster at last fall’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. “That’s a good way to start the season.”


McEneny shares ownership of Lifetime Royalty with Brad Grant and Martwest Racing Stable. The son of Royalty For Life and Cha Cha Glide has two relatives that have earned more than $1 million -- American-bred What The Hill and former Ontario Sires Stakes star Majestic Son -- and McEneny had a bold circle around his name in the Lexington sales catalogue.


“I loved him, he was a gorgeous colt at the sale, and I just said to Brad, I said I’d really like to take him home, and we did,” the trainer recalled. “We had to pay for him -- $100,000 for first crop Ontario sired was pretty good money -- but he was just gorgeous, he looks the part, and he always has been the part.”


Prior to Monday’s victory, Lifetime Royalty had posted runner-up finishes in his June 25 and July 3 qualifiers and in a July 9 2-year-old conditioned event at Woodbine Mohawk Park, giving him an early season bank balance of $22,496.


The second division saw driver Louis Philippe Roy employ similar tactics with Dream Nation from post five. The pair got away near the back of the pack and then advanced up the outer lane, taking control around the final turn. Through the stretch the fan favorites drew away to a 4-1/2 length victory in 1:59.4. Tymal Tullo was second and Tennessee Titan finished third.


“There’s some young trotters that can get aggressive a little bit, so they drive you more than you drive them, but this one, he’ll do what you want,” said Roy, who drove the Archangel-Mississippi Dream gelding to the win for trainer Jacques Dupont and owners Les Ecuries Dorleans Inc.,  Ecurie CSL, Gestion C. Levesque 2015 Inc. and Marc Camirand.


“I trained him maybe four or five times with Jacques, even before qualifying him, and every time, just perfect attitude, doing what you want,” added Roy.


Flawless through his June 25 qualifier and a July 2 2-year-old conditioned event at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Dream Nation has earned back $25,156 of his $42,000 purchase price from the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

 

The third division saw another come-from-behind performance from fan favorite Southwind Avenger and driver Trevor Henry, who sat fifth through the first half of the mile and then accelerated up the outer lane to a 3-1/2 length victory in 1:59.4.


Henry engineered the victory from post eight for New Jersey-based trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman and owners Mel Hartman, David McDuffee and Little E LLC, and the veteran reinsman found the victory uniquely satisfying.


“I always liked the colt, when he was a yearling I went and looked at him at the sale, but I knew we wouldn’t be able to afford him,” explained Henry. “I always had in the back of my head, at least if he turns out I’ll have a shot to drive him, because I liked the colt, I watched videos of him, I really liked him.”


The hammer fell at $77,000 for Southwind Avenger (E L Titan-Auvergne) at the Lexington sale and the colt delivered a pair of qualifying victories at Harrah’s Philadelphia before shipping north to compete in the Ontario Sires Stakes.


The final division saw an impressive late sprint by Forbidden Trade and reinsman Bob McClure get them into the Gold Series winner’s circle for the first time in their careers. Starting from post eight, McClure and the son of Kadabra and former Ontario Sires Stakes superstar Pure Ivory hit the wire in 1:59.2, reeling in Tymal Houdini and fan favorite Jumpshot.


“I’ve had about six seconds, but no (Gold) wins,” explained the 27-year-old reinsman, who drove the colt to the win for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination. “He almost over trotted coming out of the turn, but it’s his first lifetime start, and once he got his head down and going he was doing some trotting.”


A $110,000 purchase from the Harrisburg Standardbred Horse Yearling Sale, Forbidden Trade delivered a :28 last quarter to earn the victory.


All four colts will have an opportunity to add to their provincial resume in the second Gold Series event on July 29 at Georgian Downs.