With 10 horses entering this morning for the prestigious $750,000 Maple Leaf Trot, set for July 21 at Mohawk Racetrack, no eliminations will be required for the 2012 edition of the classic.
Daylon Magician, last year’s three-year-old trotting colt of the year in Canada, couldn’t be coming into the anticipated event any better, after having lowered his own track and Canadian record to 1:52-flat with a world record-equalling effort in the $162,000 final of Georgian Downs' Masters Series for older trotters.
“He’s as good as he’s ever been,” said trainer/driver Jack Moiseyev. “He raced terrific at Georgian the other night and he had lots left in the tank. He’s peaking at the right time, which is nice to see.”
The four-year-old son of Kadabra-Daylon Marvel, who won the $1-million Canadian Trotting Classic as a sophomore, has banked $1,457,425 in earnings for owner/breeder Daylon Farms of Komoka, Ont.
While Moiseyev has been the regular pilot behind the 18-time winner throughout his entire career, he only began conditioning the bay four starts ago.
“Dave (Dave Lemon of Daylon Farms) approached me a little while back and asked me if he could leave the horse with me and of course I said 'yes,'” Moiseyev explained. “Dave said that he has a few other young horses that he has to travel with this summer, so it would be easier this way. He did an absolutely amazing job with this horse all last year and this year. He made over $1 million last season and to keep a horse on top for that long is top notch. It was terrific management.”
But the veteran reinsman knows never to underestimate the other competitors.
“Anytime you’re in a race like this, you always have to be worried about your competition,” stated Moiseyev, who has over 9,500 driving wins to his credit along with $125 million in purse earnings. “Chapter Seven has been racing unbelievably well and there are a few others, too, but we’re coming into the race confident in our horse. I know what he’s capable of.”
Moiseyev, who is stabled in the Mohawk backstretch, admits that Daylon Magician is no well-kept secret when he’s going about his daily routine.
“Every time someone comes into the barn, they immediately know it (is) him,” Moiseyev said with a chuckle. “He’s got that presence about him. He’s a big horse with a terrific gait. They know it’s him out there on the track.”
The 2012 Maple Leaf Trot horses are listed alphabetically:
Arch Madness
Blue Porsche
Chapter Seven
Daylon Magician
Hot Shot Blue Chip
Mister Herbie
Star Ruffnready
Tall Cotton
Windsong Geant
Winning Mister
The $391,000 Roses Are Red Stakes, featuring North America’s top aged female pacers, is also part of the Maple Leaf Trot undercard on July 21 and pair of $50,000 eliminations will be held this Saturday.
The elim fields will line up as follows:
Race 5
1) Rocklamation
2) Western Silk
3) Swinging Beauty
4) Krispy Apple
5) Drop The Ball
6) Didrickson
7) Strike An Attitude
8) Laneside Lexus
9) Royal Cee Cee N
10) Camille
Race 7
1) Dreamfair Eternal
2) Anndrovette
3) Radar Contact
4) Chancey Lady
5) Monkey On My Wheel
6) Put On A Show
7) Ginger And Fred
8) Rebeka Bayama
9) Maureen Rocks
10) Waasmula
(WEG)