For the second straight week it was Pikachu Hanover posting a sharp score in the Preferred Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park, but this time around he got his fair share of pari-mutuel support.
Sent off at odds of 3-1 after upsetting to the tune of 19-1 one week ago, Pikachu Hanover darted to the lead from Post 7 for driver Doug McNair and the pair never looked back.
The led the group through fractions of :28.2, :58 and 1:26.4 before using a :28.2 closing quarter to win by a nose over race favourite Spartan General. Rounding out the Trifecta ticket in the featured affair was White Tiger.
Gregg McNair trains the eight-year-old son of Andover Hall-Playwood for High Stakes Stable Inc of Farmington Hills, MI. The win was the 25th of his career and the lion’s share of the loot bumped his overall bankroll to $$294,914.
The betting public liked what they saw in Machdavid going into Monday’s $30,000 final of the Pop Up Series and he didn’t disappoint for Team Cullen.
The gelding sat sixth in the early going while Champagne Phil rolled to the lead and served up splits of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:24.4. Machdavid tracked cover from third over in the backstretch and around the final turn, and when shown clear track in the stretch he used a :27.2 closing panel to win by a half-length margin over Arukidinme Cabbie in 1:54. Champagne Phil weakened late and settled for third prize.
Murray Brethour shares ownership on the homebred, who pushed his lifetime earnings to $105,773 with the win, with Jeff and Lori Thomson. The six-year-old son of Mach Three-Early Dismissal won for the eighth time in his career.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.