It was wall-to-wall stakes on Saturday evening at Mohawk Racetrack, as the oval hosted the Champlain Stakes, the Simcoe Stakes plus eliminations for the Canadian Trotting Classic and Maple Leaf Trot.
Trot Insider will keep you posted on all the action, so be sure to refresh your browser throughout the night for all the updates.
Maple Leaf Trot Eliminations
Resolve torched the oval in 1:51.1 for driver John Campbell, who was a last minute fill-in for trainer Ake Svanstedt. Campbell fired his charge to the lead from Post 5 and together they rolled the group through fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:24.2 before using a :26.4 kicker to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Shake It Cerry. The show dough went to Lookslikeachpndale.
The 1:51.1 performance earned Resolve a share of the track and Canadian record for older trotting horses. Daylon Magician established the record in 2012.
The five-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Anikawiesahalee, who was sent off as the 1-2 favourite, is owned by Hans Enggren of Abbottstown, PA. The 13-time winner has picked up three of those wins this season. He’s banked more than $1.4 million to date.
Hannelore Hanover powered to a 1:52 triumph in the second elimination for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke. The four-year-old daughter of Swan For All-High Sobriety got away third, but quickly moved to the lead when the field entered the backstretch. After watching JL Cruze cut the quarter in :27, Gingras threw down middle splits of :55.1 and 1:24.1 with Hannelore Hanover. She used a :27.4 closing panel to win by 3-1/4 lengths over Il Sogno Dream. Third money was earned by Windsun Revenge.
Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Frank Baldachino anted up $45,000 to supplement the streaking mare to the rich event, and she didn’t let them down. It was the tenth straight win for the 23-time winner who was sent off at odds of 1-9. She recently surpassed $1 million in career earnings.
Canadian Trotting Classic Eliminations
Fresh off his win in last weekend’s Yonkers Trot, Marion Marauder steamrolled to a four-length triumph in his $40,000 Canadian Trotting Classic elimination for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Mike Keeling.
The three-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Spellbound Hanover got away third while Tony Soprano hustled the field past the quarter pole in :27.2. Zeron had his charge on the move in the backstretch, and in a matter of strides they swept to the top and moved the field past the half in :55.4. Marion Marauder came under heavy pressure around the final turn when Waitlifter K sprinted alongside the favourite. That foe gained a brief lead before Marion Marauder kicked back into gear to reclaim the top spot going to the three-quarter pole in 1:24.1. Marion Marauder used a :27.4 closing panel to seal the deal over Winter Harbor and Tony Soprano.
Sent off as the 1-5 choice, Marion Marauder posted his ninth win of the season from 11 trips to the track for owners Jean Wellwood of Stratford and Devin Keeling of Cambridge, Ont. The colt has banked more than $1.5 million to date.
Bar Hopping took the second elimination, and in doing so took down the heavily-favoured Southwind Frank.
Tim Tetrick tucked Bar Hopping into the two-hole when the starting gate sped away, and he tracked Bee In Charge to the quarter in :27.1. Southwind Frank shot out of the three-hole as soon as the field entered the backstretch, and once he cleared he proceeded to chop out middle fractions of :55.3 and 1:24.1. Bee In Charge angled out of the pocket coming out of the final turn, and Bar Hopping was gearing up three-wide. Bar Hopping’s :28.1 kicker earned him the win by 2-1/4 lengths over Southwind Frank, with Bee In Charge rounding out the top three in the $40,000 affair.
Sent off at odds of 4-1, the three-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Cocktail Hour nabbed his fourth win of the year in 12 starts for trainer Jim Takter. The five-time winner is owned by Christina Takter, Hatfield Stable, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. The $20,000 payday lifted his lifetime earnings to $557,548.
$204,040 Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers
Betting Line had a lot of ground to make up heading into the final quarter of the rich tilt, but he did it for driver David Miller who rallied the Casie Coleman pupil to the 1:49.1 triumph.
Miller got away in mid-pack with the son of Bettors Delight-Heathers Western, and he remained there throughout the first half while Lyons Snyder buzzed the field through fractions of :27 and :54. Lyons Snyder was still the boss at the three-quarter pole in 1:20.4, and Betting Line was more than eight lengths away while gearing up on the outside. A :26.4 closing quarter by Betting Line propelled him to the half-length score over Lyons Snyder. Voracity was third.
It was the eleventh straight win for Betting Line, who is owned by West Wins Stable, Christine Calhoun and Mac Nichol. The 17-time winner is closing in on $1.3 million in seasonal earnings. He’s stashed away $1,831,942 in his career.
Champlain Stakes for Two-Year-Old Open Pacers
Ideal Wheel was a run-away in his $105,474 assignment, but he managed to out-stagger his foes to the line en route to a 1:51.4 score for driver David Miller.
The Casie Coleman-trained son of American Ideal-Bet On Luck blasted to the lead from Post 6 and wheeled the field through wild fractions of :27.3, :54.1 and 1:20.3 before finishing off the competition with a :31.1 closing panel. He held a double-digit lead throughout points of the mile, and wound up winning by 2-1/4 lengths over Very Special Agent. Third prize went to Odds On Delray.
Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont. owns the speedster who now boasts a 3-1-1 record from six trips to the track. His share of the $105,474 purse boosted his lifetime earnings to $157,505.
Seven days removed from his win in the rich Metro Pace, Beyond Delight made his way to victory lane for the third straight start thanks to his win in the second division of Champlain Stakes.
Sylvain Filion asked the Tony O’Sullivan trainee to blast to the lead, and the colt had no problem throwing down fractions of :27, :56.4 and 1:24.4 before firing home in :27.2 to win by a pair of lengths over Blood Line in 1:52.1. Windsong Napoleon grabbed the show dough.
The son of Bettors Delight-Outtathisworld now owns a 3-1-3 record from 10 trips to the track for owners Jeffrey Snyder, Michael Snyder and Four Friends Racing Stbl LLC. The freshman has already racked up $423,305 in earnings.
Champlain Stakes for Two-Year-Old Filly Pacers
Everyones Watching entered the $104,566 assignment a maiden, but came away a stakes winner in 1:52.4 for the tandem of driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Tony Alagna.
The daughter of Artiscape-Burnett Blue Chip got away fourth and held that position for the first three-quarters of the mile. Heavily-favoured Happy Hannah carved out sensible panels of :28, :57.3 and 1:25.2, but she came up short in the late going. Everyones Watching, who tracked cover to the three-quarter pole, tipped out late and powered home in :26.4 for the neck decision over Windy Sport. Happy Hannah settled for third prize.
Riverview Racing LLC, Deo Volente Farms LLC, Crawford Farms Racing and Steven Wienick share ownership on the filly who went over $100,000 in earnings with the win. She was a $100,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
Blameitonthenight survived a first-over journey to win her $106,066 assignment for the tandem of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Tony Alagna. The daughter of Mach Three-What Could Be watched Somemoneysomewhere and That’s The Ticket take turns on the lead through first-half fractions of :27.3 and :56.2 before powering to the top while racing parked to the three-quarter pole in 1:24.3. Her :28.4 closing quarter earned her the win by a half-length margin over stablemate Awash in 1:53.2. Stonebridge Sundae rounded out the Triactor ticket.
Sent off at odds of 7-1, Blameitonthenight won for the third time in seven tries for Alagna Racing LLC, Crawford Farms Racing and Donna Ozment. The rich win bumped her bankroll to $110,547.
$34,000 Preferred Pace
Nickle Bag pushed his lifetime earnings over $750,000 with a come-from-behind triumph in the $34,000 Preferred Pace. James MacDonald picked up the catch-drive on the Bill Robinson pupil, who swept from seventh at the half to win by a half-length margin over Nirvana Seelster in 1:51.1. Race favourite State Treasurer was third.
Bill Robinson trains the six-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover-Buckle Bunni for Linda Loyens of Denfield and Harry Loyens of Ilderton, Ont. The 30-time winner has picked up 11 of this wins this season.
To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.