O’Brien Award-winning driver Sylvain Filion had a productive night at the office during Thursday’s 12-race card at Mohawk Racetrack, which featured a septet of OSS Grassroots divisions for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Filion took the opening division with Its Magic Time in 1:59. The son of Kadabra-Soutaine Hanover was parked to the quarter pole in :28.3, but she eventually worked her way to the lead and proceeded to supply splits of :59.2 and 1:29.3 before using a :29.2 closing quarter to seal the deal. Runner-up Drama Free was 1-3/4 in arrears, with Theresademoninme rounding out the top three in the $12,857 tilt.
It was a winning debut for the Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman trainee who is owned by Mel Hartmann, Herb Liverman and David Mc Duffee. The gelding was a $20,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
Massacaia was the fastest OSS winner on the card by virtue of his 1:57 triumph in the second division. The son of Muscle Mass-Ghirardelli Square brushed to the lead shortly past the half, and shortly past that point he cleared and simply drove away to win by 3-3/4 lengths over R Choochoo Charlie. Alerthemedia rallied from a tough spot to finish third.
Richard Moreau trains the colt for Gestion Jean Yves Blais of Montreal, QC. It was the first on-the-board finish in three tries for the career winner of $9,288.
Harper Blue Chip gave Filion the stakes triple thanks to his maiden-breaking victory which was clocked in 1:58. Sent off as the 1-2 favourite, the son of Majestic Son-Winning Jonlin knifed out fractions of :29.2, :59.4 and 1:29.1 before finishing off the competition with a :28.4 closing quarter. O Narutac Perfetto was next best, with P L Hercules taking home the show dough.
Trainer Mark Steacy co-owns the colt with Landmark 6 Racing Stable, David McDonald and David Reid. The partners have watched the youngster assemble a 1-1-0 record in three tries while banking more than $10,000 in the process.
Blackjack Spur is now 2-for-2 to start his career thanks to his 2:00.2 score for the tandem of driver Steve Condren and trainer Chantal Mitchell. The homebred son of Pegasus Spur-Sweetie Spur floated away in the middle of the pack before accelerating to the lead in the backstretch. The colt hit the half in :59.2 before strolling by the three-quarter pole in 1:30. A :30.2 final frame was enough for him to win by half a length over Weslynn Escape, with Southernfriedsting third.
Sent off as the 2-1 favourite in the $12,857 affair, Blackjack Spur bumped his earnings to $11,429. He is owned by Richard Davis of Washington, PA.
Deweykeepumnwhy, who set a track record at Georgian Downs in his latest effort, made it back-to-back stakes scores thanks to a 1:57.2 triumph in his $12,857 division for driver Jody Jamieson. The son of Deweycheatumnhowe-Beazy sat third to the quarter pole before muscling his way to the lead. He zipped through middle fractions of :58.3 and 1:27.4 before finishing off his foes with a :29.3 kicker. The margin of victory was seven lengths over runner-up Tyrone Haji, with Verdi taking home the show dough.
Norah Parks of New Lowell, ON owns the gelding who now boasts a 2-0-1 record in five lifetime starts. The rookie’s bankroll swelled to $15,629 with the win.
Pasadena Star extended his winning streak to three-in-a-row thanks to a 1:58.4 triumph in his division for the team of driver Randy Waples and trainer Bob McIntosh. The son of Kadabra-Pasadena Princess rolled to the lead from Post 6 and threw down panels of :29, :58.3 and 1:28.4 before using a :30-second closing quarter to seal the deal. Scary Magic was next best, with Crowningcrest taking home third prize.
The gelding, who was sent off as the 1-5 choice, improved this year’s record to 3-0-0 from four trips to the track. The Robert McIntosh Stables Inc and C S X Stables’ homebred lifted his lifetime earnings to $21,869 with the victory.
Hitchin A Ride went to the front and didn’t look back in the final division for the tandem of driver Trevor Ritchie and trainer Tom Durand. Ritchie dictated the terms of the tempo by wheeling the field through sensible splits of :29.4, 1:01.3 and 1:33. He asked the colt to go into sprint mode in the final quarter, however, and a :28.4 final frame was the end result en route to the victory by 1-1/3 lengths over Ole Jack Magic in 2:01.4. Corsair Hall was third.
It was a maiden-breaking win for the homebred son of Angus Hall-B Cor Peatra who races for June Durand, Allan Smith, Catherine Baker and Lynn Baker. His earnings jumped to $11,328 with the victory.
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.