Earlier this year trainer Casie Coleman’s objective was to beat Kyle Major as often as she could, but now her goal is to get him to the winner’s circle as often as she
can.
The strapping son of Art Major--So Clear made his way to her base at Classy Lane Stables in Cambridge, Ont. shortly after turning in a sub-par performance in a New York Sire Stakes assignment at Vernon Downs on August 7. He led for most of that mile before fading to finish fifth in what ultimately was his final start for former trainer Shawn Robinson.
“He’s been here for about three weeks now,” said Coleman, who has been busy trying to pinpoint problems on the pacer. “I’d heard that he had some throat issues, so I had Dr. Huw Llewellyn do a minor throat surgery on him.”
Kyle Major showed plenty of promise earlier this year thanks in part to a 1:50.1 win in a $100,000 division of the Burlington Stakes followed by a narrow loss to Rock N Roll Heaven in an elimination for the Pepsi North America Cup. He spoiled a perfect trip in the rich final the following week, and has struggled to regain his early season form ever since.
“I watched some of his replays and he seems to be pretty hot, so I switched him to a quarter-cup set of blinkers and put pull out plugs on him,” added Coleman, who went back to the drawing board in an attempt to right the ship. “I put a more aggressive bit in his mouth, too. He’s very good gaited and a very big horse, so I put a much lighter set of hopples on him and switched his shoes up front from the steel shoes he had on before.
“I had him given to me in time for the Confederation Cup, but I felt he was worn out and needed a rest,” she added. “He did lose some weight after the hard racing he had to do in the North America Cup, the Meadowlands Pace and then the sire stakes race in Vernon. That was a lot of shipping during a time when the weather was really hot, so I gave him the time I felt he needed.”
Even though Kyle Major missed Canada’s richest pacing classic on a half-mile oval, he’ll get a chance to take part in another prestigious half-mile track event on the other side of the border in the very near future for owner/breeder Bob Hamather of Exeter, Ont.
“I’m prepping him for the Simcoe, but my main game plan is the Little Brown Jug,” said Coleman, whose original Jug plans were derailed when stable star Sportswriter suffered a career-ending injury. “I had Mark [MacDonald] out to the farm on Saturday and he trained the colt a last trip in 1:56 for me. He got along great with him, so he’s going to drive him for me.”
Coleman and MacDonald will get a chance to learn a bit more about Kyle Major this Saturday, as the career winner of $259,037 has drawn Post 2 in a $25,000 event for three-year-olds at Mohawk Racetrack.
The card also features many of North America’s best trotters and pacers in North American harness racing as the Campbellville oval plays host to one of the biggest programs of the season which includes the $1 million Metro Pace, $688,000 Shes A Great Lady Stakes and the $780,000 Canadian Pacing Derby.
The Metro final was established after a quartet of eliminations was held this past Saturday night. The fastest winner was local colt Prodigal Seelster who stopped the clock in 1:50 for driver Tim Tetrick.
The son of Camluck, who captured this year’s $300,000 Battle Of Waterloo, has won four of six starts this season for trainer Dave Menary whose father Larry co-owns along with Denis Breton, Kenneth Ewen and the Double Or Nothing Stables, all of Ontario. His connections chose post three on Saturday.
One of the fan favourites will be Big Jim who captured his split for driver Phil Hudon in 1:50.2. The namesake of his owner James Carr of Hamilton, the son of Western Ideal is three for five this year and starts from post four this weekend.
The other elimination winners, Great Vintage and Wind Me Up, will start from posts one and two respectively in the lucrative final.
Pretty Katherine equaled the world record for two-year-old fillies when she captured the fastest Shes A Great Lady elimination last Saturday for driver Mark MacDonald in 1:50.3.
The daughter of Rocknroll Hanover is undefeated in four starts during her freshman campaign. She will be the definitive headliner and is one of three fillies in the final for trainer Casie Coleman who also sends out Ohmygosh Hanover in the Metro final. Coleman elected to go with post three this weekend.
Hypnotic Blue Chip notched his sixth win of the season in capturing the single Canadian Pacing Derby elimination this past weekend for driver Jody Jamieson in 1:48.3. The four-year-old son of Art Major could have taken a bye straight to the final but trainer Kevin McDermott opted to race him instead for the chance to choose his post in the final.
Hypnotic Blue Chip will start from post two on Saturday in a field that also includes defending champion Shark Gesture and this year’s Molson Pace champion Won The West.
There will be plenty of other of things happening on Saturday night at Mohawk with the doors open to fans at 5:30 p.m.
A beginner betting seminar will take place at 6:00 p.m. where fans will receive a free race program and $2 loaded cash card to make a wager on the program. There will also be a draw for four $50 HPI account deposits.
Mohawk will also be hosting an extreme handicapping contest championship challenge with upwards of $7,500 in prize money to won. Customers have up until 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night to register and can pre-register at the Mohawk Gift Store and Woodbine player services desk.
A $75,000 guaranteed pool for the early pick-4 and several second-chance draws throughout the evening will also be part of Saturday night’s festivities.
For those who can’t make it to the track on Saturday, The Score will carry special coverage of both the Metro and Canadian Pacing Derby during a two-hour special from 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. (E.T.)
First post for Saturday night’s program from Mohawk is 7:30 p.m.
(With files from WEG)