Freshmen pacers were out in full force on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack as they competed in three Nassagaweya Stakes divisions for colts and geldings and three Eternal Camnation Stakes divisions for fillies
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Undefeated Fillies Sweep Eternal Camnation Splits
Put On A Show, Panagler and Fancy Filly were all convincing winners in their respective divisions of the Eternal Camnation Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack.
All three were favoured and each kept their career unbeaten streaks in tact.
Put On A Show was put on the front early in the opening $120,437 division by driver Jody Jamieson and was able to control all the fractions from there. After putting up three panels in 1:25.1, the daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-Stienams Place kicked away from her rivals with a :28.1 final quarter to stop the clock in 1:53.2.
Siri Hanover (Randy Waples) finished three lengths back in second with Tee Time (Corey Callahan) landing the show spot.
Despite the dominant margin of victory, Put On A Show did survive an anxious moment in the stretch when she veered sideways towards the infield.
“I just mentioned it to Chris [Ryder - the trainer] after we pulled up,” said Jamieson. “He said that she does that sometimes. She was well in hand at that point and I had a good line on her, so it was fortunate or I might have lost her. But, she recovered quickly and paced very strong through the wire.”
Put On A Show remains undefeated in three career starts with the win and boosted her bankroll to just over $75,000 for owners Richard Young of Florida and Craig Henderson of Illinois. She returned just $2.40 to win and $81,000 of $83,000 in the show pool was wagered on her.
Panagler used a similar approach to capture the second split for driver Steve Condren in 1:53. The daughter of No Pan Intended - Panipulator made a quarter pole move to command and then easily fended off her rivals with a :27.1 final quarter. Ticket To Rock (Randy Waples) was second with Northwest Hanover (Jody Jamieson) finishing third.
“My filly felt good around the last turn,” said Condren. “I wasn’t really bothered too much at that point and when I called on her she was good. She’s coming on and just learning to be a tough, gritty filly.”
Panagler ran her unbeaten streak to three for trainer Bob McIntosh and owner Peter Pan Stables of Ohio. She returned $3.50 to win while boosting her seasonal bankroll to just over $78,000.
In the final division, Fancy Filly blasted to the front for driver Corey Callahan from the outside post nine and held on for a strong gate-to-wire victory in 1:53.1. The daughter of Western Hanover-Fanciful Hanover had little trouble disposing of You See L A (Steve Condren) with Western Silk (Mark MacDonald) rounding out the top three.
“When I went out, George [Teague Jr. - the trainer] told me she’s been push button all year and she was,” said Callahan. “She did everything I asked her to do and it was a really good race for her. I got some really sensible fractions and I thought I had plenty of horse turning for home. I called on her and she went right on no problem.”
The win improved her career record to a perfect five-for-five for Teague who co-owns along with Ted Gewertz of New York and Only Money Inc. of Delaware. The $5.00 favourite elevated her career earnings to just over $120,000 with the win.
All three winners are eligible to the $700,000 (Est.) Shes A Great Lady Stake with eliminations slated for next Saturday night at Mohawk.
Favourites Remain Unbeaten In Nassagaweya Divisions
Just like their distaff counterparts in the Eternal Camnation stakes, unbeaten favourites swept all three divisions of the $134,892 Nassagaweya Stakes, for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings, tonight at Mohawk.
Dr. Ian Moore’s undefeated Malicious, sent off at 3-5, improved his record to six for six as he triumphed in the first Nassagaweya split. The dark brown son of Bettors Delight, with Paul MacDonnell in the bike, took command at the 3/8 pole and never looked back, brushing off a strong challenge from Epanephrine and Steve Condren and stopping the clock in 1:53.1.
Epanephrine was a length back in second, and Lake Shark (Mark MacDonald) stepped up for the show spot.
Dr. Moore shares ownership on Malicious with hockey star Serge Savard and the R G McGroup Ltd of Bathurst, N.B. The colt’s bankroll has now swelled to $124,996.
Even-money favourite, Dr Dreamy (Corey Callahan), showed true grit in the second Nassagaweya split, battling back after losing his advantage in the stretch to Jody Jamieson and Whackamole Hanover, and finishing three-quarters of a length ahead in 1:53.3.
Western Thorn (Mark MacDonald) shot up from the backfield for third.
Brenda and George Teague train this unbeaten son of Art Major, who is now five for five for owners George Teague Jr., Ted Gewertz, Only Money Inc., and the Teague Racing Partnership. The colt, who was a $22,000 yearling purchase, has rewarded his investors with $118,605 in his coffers as of tonight.
“He’s a little guy, but he always seems to put his game face on when it comes race day. He hasn’t disappointed us yet,” commented George Teague.
The final Nassagaweya split went to even-money choice, Sportswriter, who employed a perfect pocket trip behind Brenda Teague trainee, Delmarvalous (Corey Callahan), as the latter set blistering fractions of :26.4, :54.4, and 1:22.4. Mark MacDonald then angled Sportswriter out and powered past a flagging, but determined, Delmarvalous in the stretch to win in a new stakes record time of 1:50.4.
Bob McIntosh trainee, Rock Me Please (Steve Condren), grabbed the show spot.
Sportswriter, by Artsplace out of the Jate Lobell, Precious Beauty, is now flawless in three starts for trainer Casie Coleman and owners Steve Calhoun and the West Wins Stable.
“I expected him to step up,” remarked MacDonald. “We’ve been dropping him a couple of seconds every week and I don’t think we’ve found the bottom of him yet.
“He’s very gritty. That’s a big mile, the track is getting heavy and tiring on the final turn. George Teague’s horse [Delmarvalous] fought real hard down the stretch. My colt paced by real quick and then got a little lost. He does that sometimes on the front. He kept that horse at his bridle but I don’t think my colt was fully extended.”
All three winners tonight are eligible to the $1 million Metro Pace on September 5.
Open Victory For Bigtime Ball, Again
Keeping with consistency, Bigtime Ball rolled to the front of the field early on and left his Open rivals in the dust for the third straight week during Mohawk Racetrack’s top pace on Saturday night.
Bolero Charles (Jody Jamieson) gunned for the early lead from the outside Post 7, but Bigtime Ball reached up from third past the :26.1 opening quarter and was urged on by regular reinsman Paul MacDonell. The five-year-old Gord Irwin-trained gelding powered past the remaining panels of :54.3 and 1:23.1 before kicking away by three and a half lengths for the triumph in 1:49.3.
Bolero Charles stayed for second and Hyperion Hanover (Rick Zeron) closed from the back of the pack for show.
Bigtime Ball, who is being pointed towards the Canadian Pacing Derby at Mohawk (eliminations scheduled for next Saturday, August 29), has compiled a solid record this season including nine wins and three seconds in 13 starts with $290,692 earned. The son of Presidential Ball-Keystone Trinidad has won 22 races lifetime earning $895,173 for the Irwin Stables of Cobourg, Ont.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.
(With files from WEG)