Saturday’s action-packed Pepsi North America Cup undercard at Mohawk Racetrack featured some of the sport’s top sophomores in action
. All of the up-to-date information from the night including recaps and replays of the $387,000 Goodtimes Trot, the $666,000 Fan Hanover Stakes, the $557,000 Elegantimage Stakes and consolations can be found right here.
Tiz To Dream Hangs On In Fan Hanover Consolation
Tiz To Dream went wire-to-wire with driver Doug McNair in tow to kick off the stakes action Saturday evening at Mohawk Racetrack with a career-best clocking of 1:50.2 in the $75,000 Fan Hanover Stakes consolation for three-year-old pacing fillies.
McNair sent Tiz To Dream to the lead from Post 3 and carved out early fractions of :26.2, :54.4 before A Pippin Hanover (Tim Tetrick) moved first up from fourth while Major Girl (Jody Jamieson) squeezed out of the pocket as they hit three-quarters in 1:22.3. Major Girl was only able to get to the leader’s wheel as she scooted away in the stretch. But the daughter of Grinfromeartoear-Extreme Dream was not home free as she had to dig in to hold off a quick-closing Siri Hanover (Randy Waples) by a head at the wire. Major Girl finished third.
Tix To Dream paid $16.90 to win as the 7-1 fourth choice in the field. Trainer Gregg McNair shares ownership of the winning filly, who finished sixth in her Fan Hanover elimination, with Paul Kidd of Guelph, ON. The victory was Tiz To Dream's second in five tries this year and eighth overall pushing her earnings to $375,917.
‘Goodtimes’ For Sing Jesse Sing At Mohawk
Sing Jesse Sing survived a first over journey in rein to Jody Jamieson to capture the $387,000 Goodtimes Trot for three-year-olds on Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack.
With elimination winner Jetblue Volo (Tim Tetrick) rolling off stride before the gate swung open, one top contender was taken out of contention.
Southwind Wrangler (David Miller) was first to fire but yielded to a parked out Rock Hollywood (Trevor Ritchie), who took over at the :27.2 opener. His lead was short-lived though, as 8-5 favourite Text Me (Randy Waples), an elimination winner, made a backstretch brush and hit the half in :55.3.
At the halfway point, Jamieson made the winning move sending Sing Jesse Sing, trained by Ron Burke, up alongside the leader after getting away fifth and they battled it out on top past three-quarters in 1:25 with Sing Jesse Sing eventually pushing ahead in late stretch and holding off a series of late-closers for the career-best score in 1:53.3. Priority Photo (Trond Smedshammer) and Windsun Galaxie (Sylvain Filion) came on for second and third over Text Me.
“I’m not sure how tough the trip was,” said Jamieson of the first over route. “The pace was set up front and they were rocking pretty good. When they started to come back to me, I angled my horse out and coming from a top barn, they had the horse well prepared and he dug in right to the wire.
"I thought I had Text Me early in the stretch and then he wouldn’t go away. Then when Trond zipped off my back, I thought he had me at one point but my horse dug in. I was never sure until about five feet from the wire when we were there.”
Sing Jesse Sing paid $10.60 to win as the 4-1 second choice. The Jailhouse Jesse-Hollybrook Lane colt, who won his elimination last week for his new connections The Burke Racing Stable, Slaughter Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Frank Baldachino, is now three-for-five on the year. Sing Jesse Sing notched his fourth career win boosting his bankroll to $255,191.
Western Silk Wires Fan Hanover Fillies
Western Silk pulled off a 9-1 upset defeating favourites Put On A Show and Fancy Filly in Saturday’s $666,000 Fan Hanover Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies at Mohawk Racetrack.
Mark MacDonald put Post 8 starter Western Silk on the lead at the :26.2 first quarter and reached the half in :55.3 before facing serious pressure from elimination winner Fancy Filly (Brian Sears) past the 1:23.3 third quarter station. The daughter of Western Terror-Extemporaneous dug in with a :26.3 final frame and held off Put On A Show (Tim Tetrick), another elim winner, for the career-best 1:50.1 victory with Fancy Filly finishing third.
“I was concerned when he [Mark MacDonald] was leaving the gate,” said winning trainer and part-owner Casie Coleman following the race. “This filly is a closer and I never ever give instructions to a driver but obviously Mark saw a lot of closers in the race and decided to leave. I already told him, I said ‘you’re lucky because I was going to kill you when I saw you were leaving the gate’,” she laughed, "but it all worked out.”
Coleman noted that her filly, who finished second by a nose to A And Gs Princess in her elimination last week, was coming off a tough week.
“Her last start there she was second by a nose. When ‘Silky’ comes off a back, she goes by everybody pretty much. I scoped her after that race. She scoped a three out of five sick. When I got her home I got a blood test pulled and she tied up quite badly last week in the D-barn. It's just absolutely unbelievable she made the final. I knew she was 100% tonight but last week when she came out of the elims she was in rough shape and we got her fixed up."
Western Silk paid $20.90 to win as the third choice. The Casie Coleman Stables of Cambridge, ON and Tom Hill of Lancashire, Great Britain own the career winner of 10 races and $747,554. Western Silk is also a winner of her elimination and Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final earlier this season.
Cup Consolation To Allthatgltrsisgold
Allthatgltrsisgold delivered on his pari-mutuel promise as he rallied off cover and came flying home in :26.2 to win the $100,000 Pepsi North America Cup consolation Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.
Ok Commander (Doug McNair) sprinted off the gate from Post 4 in a sizzling :25.4 first quarter and marched past the remaining stations of :53.3 and 1:21.3, but was picked off in the stretch by Allthatgltrsisgold and David Magee, who angled around a fading Power Of A Moment (Marcus Miller) in the backstretch and picked up cover from Haul Away (Randy Waples). The son of Cams Card Shark-Glitter N Glitz kicked home to score by a neck over Ok Commander in a career-best 1:49 with Iam Bonasera (Jody Jamieson), who drew in late after the scratch of Dr Dreamy, closing well for third.
Allthatgltrsisgold paid $5.90 to win as the popular choice. The Bobby Brower trainee, who finished second in the Hoosier Cup and third in the New Jersey Classic, won for the third time in nine starts this year and increased his earnings to $252,745. Owned and bred by Victory Hill Farm of Lagrange, Indiana, Allthatgltrsisgold is now a winner of seven races lifetime and $327,854 in purses.
Like Mother, Like Daughter
Ultimate Cameron, out of the 2002 Elegantimage Stakes winner Cameron Hall, front-stepped her way to a 1:53.3 stakes record score in Saturday’s $557,000 Elegantimage Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies at Mohawk Racetrack.
Fresh off victories in her Casual Breeze Stakes division and Elegantimage elimination, Ultimate Cameron and Trevor Ritchie left from Post 2 and set up shop on the front end. She jumped out to an early three length lead at the first quarter in :27 before stealing a :30.1 second quarter breather. The field tightened up as they raced past the half in :57.1 and three-quarters in 1:25.2, but no one could catch the Robert Stewart trainee, who held off the pocket-sitting Emmylou Who (Lyle MacArthur) and elimination winner, favourite Poof Shes Gone (David Miller), for the half-length score.
“I felt very good when I saw the half time flash up. I thought with the way this filly has been racing, she was going to be pretty tough to get by,” said Ritchie following the win. “She was good and comfortable. She drives like a sweetheart. She’ll leave hard for you but after that she’ll relax good and she got a nice little breather.
“You’re never confident when you’re in with a bunch of good fillies. You never know, there might be something strong coming at you. After the half, I knew they were going to have to go something to get by her and they were right at her wheel so they’re some great fillies.”
When asked if his filly had lots left in the tank, Ritchie indicated that he believes Ultimate Cameron could be even better from off the pace. “Hopefully, I’ll have the chance to find out sometime down the road. I think you’ll see better from her.”
Ultimate Cameron paid $5.60 to win as the 3-2 second choice. Undefeated in three starts this year, the bay filly has banked $333,500 for Diamond Creek Farm LLC of Paris, Kentucky. Last year’s Breeders Crown runner-up now sports a record of 4-5-1 in 12 starts with $557,894 earned.
Ramegade Bruiser Grinds Out Open Victory
Ramegade Bruiser battled back against a strong challenge from Major Hottie to win Saturday’s $42,000 Open Pace at Mohawk Racetrack equaling his mark of 1:49.4.
With Rick Zeron in the bike, Ramegade Bruiser advanced to the lead from third after the :26.2 first quarter was put up by Mr Apples (Brian Sears). The millionaire pacer was at the half in :54.4, and as he reached three-quarters in 1:22.4 he was joined on top by Major Hottie (Mark MacDonald), who pushed ahead as they headed down the stretch. Fighting back on the inside, Ramegade Bruiser re-gained control and hit the wire in 1:49.4 with nearly two lengths to spare. Southwestern Dream (John Campbell) came on for second with Major Hottie finishing third.
David Brown owns and trains the seven-year-old son of Rambaran-Love You Dear, who paid $5.40 to win for the fourth time in seven starts this season. The lion’s share of the purse pushed his earnings to $122,200 this year and $1,148,339 lifetime.
A full recap and replay of the Cup can be found here.