Woodbine Mohawk Park: Duly Resolved keeps win streak going

Duly Resolved has won all four races he has entered, but trainer John Bax still gets nervous every time the 2-year-old trotting gelding steps onto the racetrack.

"I'm pretty nervous watching him race. I don't know how much is there, so far it's been enough, but I don't know," said Bax. "I don't even know if he knows what he's doing out there. He looks like he's just out for a stroll."

The gelding strolled around Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:56 3/5 to record his third Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series victory, and his fourth straight win, on Thursday, Aug. 19. Paul MacDonell engineered the victory, leaving smartly from post eight with the favorite and controlling the tempo through fractions of 28 2/5, 58 4/5, and 1:28 3/5. Duly Resolved cruised home a 1 1/4 length winner under minimal urging. Killer Whipr Snipr and Star Power Hanover closed well to be second and third.

The race was delayed while Flight Song visited the Woodbine Mohawk Park blacksmith to have a shoe replaced after the post parade, but the extra time out on the racetrack did not faze Duly Resolved.

"He's pretty relaxed out there, isn't he? He's just out there; it's just a night out for him," said Bax. "His sister (Bright Eyes M) wasn't that easy when you were out there, but he handled it pretty well."

Bax trained the gelding's Kadabra half-sister Bright Eyes M to earnings of C$318,637 in her career, almost all of it earned in her 3-year-old season. Bax offered up $30,000 for Duly Resolved at last fall's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, and the son of Resolve and former Gold Series winner Motown Muscle has already earned C$127,933.

Bax Stables, Don Allensen, Gaelic Stable, and David Hudson share ownership on Duly Resolved, and most of the partners were on hand for his fourth victory.

"All the grandkids were here tonight, and even the guy that's farthest away, David Hudson, he's in Dallas, so he didn't come, but his brother represented him, so everybody was represented," said Bax. "We're just enjoying the ride."

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In the second C$69,733 Gold division, Safe Conduct made his Ontario Sires Stakes debut from post four, and after sitting fifth for much of the race, he sprinted home in 27 3/5 to claim a neck victory over favorite Twin B Archie and pace-setter Esplosione. The colt stopped the teletimer at 1:55 1/5 in just his second lifetime start.

"He was a nice colt training down. Camilla was confident in his ability from the beginning," said driver Chris Christoforou. "He raced great tonight. I'm very happy for his owners - my father and his long-time partner Irving Storfer."

Christoforou crafted the victory for his wife, trainer Camilla Christoforou, his father Charalambos Christoforou and Storfer's Banjo Farms. The elder Christoforou and Banjo Farms also bred the son of Archangel and their former race mare Safe Keeping.

Red Overbach added a Gold Series blanket to his collection in the last C$69,734 division. Starting from post seven with Jody Jamieson in the race bike, Red Overbach left well and was in command just after the 29 1/5 quarter. Unchallenged through a 59 second half and 1:28 1/5 three-quarters, the Royalty For Life son trotted under the wire in a personal-best 1:56 3/5. Luca Hanover finished 1 1/4 lengths back in second, and favorite Lexus Ranger completed the top three.

"My parents went to the East Coast for three weeks and left the horses in the capable hands of Anthony Haughan and Meg Crone," said Jamieson. "He trotted brilliantly tonight and won in a life's mark."

Crone harnessed Red Overbach, who was a winner in Grassroots action on July 15, for his Gold Series debut on behalf of Carl Jamieson, Thomas Kyron, and breeder Dr. Robert Boyce.

All three of Thursday's winners are eligible to the 2-year-old trotting colt and gelding open stakes that get under way at Woodbine Mohawk Park next week. The Champlain Stakes go postward Thursday, Aug. 26, eliminations for the William Wellwood Memorial Trot are one week later, on Sept. 2, and the final is Saturday, Sept. 11. The trio will return to Gold Series action on Sept. 18 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--