Western Fair: Top colts to battle in Gold showdown on Friday

After a sharp training mile with Beaumond Hanover over The Raceway at Western Fair District last week, owner/trainer Jack Darling was looking forward to the three-year-old pacing colt Gold Series finale at the London oval on Friday, Oct. 9.

Unfortunately Darling's confidence took a hit when the post position draw was published on Tuesday. Beaumond Hanover landed the outside Post 7 while rival Tattoo Artist got the inside Post 1 in the sole C$155,600 Gold division.

"When you draw the seven like that, with the way things set up, you're pretty well toast," said Cambridge, ON resident Darling. "It will be up to Jody (Jamieson) to see what happens behind the gate, but it's not good."

In the first four Gold Series legs Beaumond Hanover scored three wins and one second, getting bested for the first time by Tattoo Artist at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Sept. 18. The son of Sportswriter has only missed the top three once in 11 starts, finishing sixth, less two lengths behind the winner, in his Aug. 22 North America Cup elimination.

In addition to Tattoo Artist, both colts that were victorious over the London half-mile in 2-year-old Gold Series action will also start to the left of Beaumond Hanover and driver Jody Jamieson. Beach Blanket Book gets Post 2 and track record holder Denali Seelster will start from Post 5.

"He'll be very tough on the half, because I think he can go just as fast on the half as he can on the big track, pretty close anyways," said Blake MacIntosh, who trains Beach Blanket Book for Hutt Racing Stable of Malvern, PA and Mac And Heim Stables of St. George, ON. "We had thought about taking him to the (Little Brown) Jug and just decided against it because he'd gone four or five weeks in a row between all the stake races. So we just gave him a couple weeks off, gave him a couple easy weeks, and he needed a little tightener for the Gold and so we qualified him at Flamboro."

Beach Blanket Book romped along all by himself in the Oct. 3 qualifier at Flamboro Downs, reaching the wire 27 lengths ahead of the field in 1:54 2/5. The Sportswriter son sits third in the sophomore pacing colt standings, behind Tattoo Artist and Beaumond Hanover, with 66 points from two seconds and two fourths.

Last October Beach Blanket Book scored a 1:57 3/5 victory in his Gold Series division at The Raceway at Western Fair District, dealing Tattoo Artist the only loss he has ever suffered in Ontario Sires Stakes action.

"Last year Denali (Seelster) broke the 10 year old track record for two-year-olds and Tattoo (Artist) actually struggled last year, he was third," said Dr. Ian Moore, who trains both colts. "Hopefully we have some good weather (Friday) and away we go, see what happens."

Like his rivals, division point leader and reigning champion Tattoo Artist took a spin around a half-mile track last week to sharpen his skills for Friday's regular season finale. The colt will be looking to wrap up his sophomore season with a perfect record of five wins in five Gold Series starts.

"I'd taken him to Flamboro and trained him on Thursday (Oct. 1), he trained superb, just to make sure he's okay with the half still, and I just went one trip with him today (Oct. 6) and he just seems as fresh as a daisy still," said Cambridge resident Moore. "Sometimes it's hard when you drag them on to three week breaks, I find that difficult sometimes, especially late in the year, but he seems to be taking it in stride no problem."

Frank Cannon of Sanford, FL and Let It Ride Stables Inc. of Boca Raton, FL share ownership of Hes Watching son Tattoo Artist and Ratchford Stable NS of North Sydney, NS own Sunshine Beach colt Denali Seelster.

The colts face off in the last regular season Gold event of their careers in Race 7 on Friday's program, which gets underway at 6:15 pm. Fans can download a program and watch the live stream on The Raceway at Western Fair District website.

-edited release (Ontario Sire Stakes)