Driver Mike Whelan will head to the gate in his biggest race to date aboard his father's three-year-old pacing filly Brushstrokes in the $666,000 Fan Hanover as part of Pepsi North America Cup night, but will have to take down the division’s finest, Put On A Show and Fancy Filly – both undefeated this season
– in order to pocket the lion’s share of the rich purse.
Brushstrokes is trained by Mike’s father, Walter, and comes into the race off a second-place finish in her elimination to Put On A Show. The daughter of Real Artist – Lucky Irma trailed the field through early fractions and tipped off cover at the top off the stretch. She rallied home in :27.2 to get up for second in a 1:51.1 mile (individually timed in 1:52.1).
“I don’t know how much she can go,” Walter said in an article in The Guardian. “But if they go enough in front of her and the trip works out, I think she has a chance to get some serious money. And if things go her way, I wouldn’t be shocked if she won. I wouldn’t jump off the roof of the paddock or nothing; I know she can go lots. But even if she gets nothing I won’t be disappointed. We’re just happy to be in it.”
Brushstrokes, a 25-1 longshot in the morning line, will leave from Post 6 for the Whelans and owner John Christensen of Scarborough, ON with favourites Put On A Show and Tim Tetrick (PP5) and Fancy Filly and Brian Sears (PP3) to her inside.
“[Brushstrokes has] never let me down yet and she’s never finished tired,” Mike said of his filly, who has posted six wins in 10 starts with two seconds and one third to earn $47,154 so far in her debut season. “But you don’t want to be overconfident when you’re dealing with horses who have a million dollars made like Fancy Filly and Put On A Show. Time will tell.”
In the article, Mark MacDonald also weighs in on his chances in the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup with Sportswriter. To read The Guardian article in its entirety, click here.
For recaps and replays of the Fan Hanover eliminations, click here.
To view the entries for Saturday's stakes-filled card at Mohawk Racetrack, click here.
(With files from The Guardian)