Market Share overcame an outside post eight start to capture the $543,000 Maple Leaf Trot over defending champion Mister Herbie on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.
The son of Revenue S continued a perfect start to his four-year-old campaign with a 1:51.1 victory in rein to Tim Tetrick for trainer Linda Toscano and owners Richard Gutnick, the T L P Stable, and William Augustine.
Market Share settled away mid-pack while longshot Knows Nothing (James MacDonald) worked his way to the lead over Arch Madness (Scott Zeron) during a :26.3 opening quarter. But Arch Madness swept around the early speedster during the second panel with Wishing Stone (Yannick Gingras) hot on his heels from third.
Wishing Stone cleared to command just before the :54.3 half with Market Share moving underway and Mister Herbie (Jody Jamieson) following his cover.
Market Share edged out in front by the 1:24 third quarter station and drew clear into the stretch en route to his third consecutive win this year. Mister Herbie finished two and a half lengths behind in second with Uncle Peter (David Miller) coming on from the backfield for third.
"I had to go forward off the gate -- couldn't get away too far back -- and they were racing them up front," said Tetrick of his racing strategy. "At the half, they flushed me and I came first up. My horse is game and trotted right up to the leader and then he went right on by. He continued to trot all the way to the wire, so he was really good."
Market Share was the 2-5 favourite entering the race off a 1:50.3 qualifying win at Meadowlands Racetrack on July 13. His last race was a leg of the TVG Championship Series one month ago.
"He was good [coming into the race]," said Toscano. "I was really concerned because of the crazy heat that we've had so it was about keeping him hydrated and making sure he didn't get too stressed on the trip, but he was real good after the qualifier last week and I was hoping he was going to hold his form at least for this race.
"You worry because all these horses are race tight and they're really a great group of horses. I did what I could to keep him tight, I was hoping to get a start or two earlier this month for him, but it didn't work out so he lived up to what I hoped."
The Maple Leaf Trot victory was Market Share's his 18th win in 28 lifetime starts and boosted his bankroll to more than $2.3 million.
"He's such an incredible overachiever," said Toscano of the trotter who also boasts prestigious victories in the Hambletonian and Canadian Trotting Classic. "If anyone would have told me that he was this kind of horse early last year I would have said they were nuts, but he's really got it figured out and he's proved he's the best right now."
Tetrick also enjoyed success on the undercard winning the $323,500 Roses Are Red Stakes with defending champion Anndrovette in a 1:48 Canadian record and one of four $100,000-plus Canadian Breeders Championships with three-year-old trotting colt Thankyoukessel. He ended the night with five wins the 12-race card.
Click here for complete coverage of the Maple Leaf Trot undercard.