The weekend of prep races for the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup continued on Saturday night with Mohawk Racetrack hosting the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes for sophomore pacers
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With the rain beginning to fall just in time for the first $100,000 division downgrading the track to sloppy with a two second variant, Secretsoftheknight swept to command after the opening quarter and cruised to a 1:52 triumph over 4-5 favourite Thinking Out Loud for team McNair.
Ideal Romance (Scott Zeron) fired to command from the outside post eight with fellow outsiders Secretsoftheknight (Doug McNair) and State Treasurer (Jody Jamieson) leaving for top spots. Secretsoftheknight dropped into the two-hole while State Treasurer made a costly break in stride taking himself out of contention.
After the :27.1 opening quarter, Secretsoftheknight swept to command and carved out middle splits of :55.2 and 1:23.2 with Allstar Legend (Luc Ouellette) advancing first up and Thinking Out Loud (Randy Waples) following his cover.
Secretsoftheknight maintained his lead into the stretch and cruised home for the one length victory with Thinking Out Loud rallying wide to come on for second. Allstar Legend finished third.
“Once we got to the last turn, I just let him rock,” said Doug McNair. “He held tough right to the wire. He showed tonight that he has a lot of potential and could beat some good horses. He just keeps getting better and better each start. He is maturing."
Secretsoftheknight paid $18.70 for the upset win. The Mach Three-Docs Reward colt, bred by Big Als Stables Inc. of Woodbridge, Ont., notched his sixth career win and pushed his bankroll to $249,989 for trainer Gregg McNair and Ontario owners Tony Lawrence of Hanover, Leonard Gamble of Etobicoke, John Newell of Waterloo and Graham Hopkins of Chesley. He has now won two races this year in six starts, including his Upper Canada Cup elimination in a career-best 1:51.1.
Fresh off a victory in the Upper Canada Cup, Michaels Power advanced to command down the backstretch and kept his attackers at bay to win the second division in 1:51.1 for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Casie Coleman.
Hillbilly Hanover (Randy Waples) took control of the field from post five and reached the opening quarter mark in :27.2 before coming under attack from 3-5 favourite Michaels Power, who swept from third to first during the second panel. Meanwhile, early pocket-sitter Easy Again (Montrell Teague Jr.) made a costly break in stride causing interference to some of the trailing horses.
Back on top, Michaels Power hit the half in :55.3 and three-quarters in 1:23 with Dapper Dude (John Campbell) advancing first up from mid-pack and locking in pocket-sitter Hillybilly Hanover for most of the stretch. Michaels Power was able to keep both rivals at bay as he cruised down the lane for the two and a half length victory. Dapper Dude edged out Hillybilly Hanover for second.
“He just showed how much talent he has,” said Zeron following the victory. “Of course beating the horses in the Upper Canada Cup wasn’t an easy thing to do, but he did it pretty handy. But now we have to face the North American horses. He’s shown he could do it against the field he was up against tonight. That’s a bigger mile than anybody would know because of how sloppy the track is. I am impressed by the way that he did it and I feel confident going into next week.”
Michaels Power paid $3.40 to win. The Camluck-Michelles Jackpot gelding is now six for seven in his young career with $382,400 banked for owner-breeder Jeffrey Snyder of New York.
Both Secretsoftheknight and Michaels Power are eligible to the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup and have been assessed as odds of 65-1 in Trot Magazine's Spring Book. Eliminations will take place next weekend at Mohawk.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With quotes from WEG)