On a star-studded card Sunday (August 12) at Tioga Downs, Canadian-connected horses captured the majority of the stakes events including the co-featured $141,000 Joie De Vie Trot and $186,000 Crawford Farms Trot.

Trainer Luc Blais claimed the top two positions in the $141,000 Joie De Vie Trot with Dream Together rallying to the inside of late-closing Emoticon Hanover to finish first and second ahead of tempo-setter Hannelore Hanover in 1:53.1. One race later, Jeff Gillis trainee Will Take Charge delivered as the 3-5 favourite with a track record 1:51.2 mile in the $186,000 Crawford Farms Trot.

Ariana G left for the top in the Joie De Vie with Dream Together securing the pocket and Hannelore Hanover, the 1-4 favourite, unhurried from third. Hannelore Hanover soon vacated her spot at the rail and charged first over to take control following a :26.4 first quarter.

Hannelore Hanover held command to the half in :55.4 as Broadway Donna, parked from the start, committed first over moving to the backstretch. Dream Together remained third to the inside as Broadway Donna applied minor pressure by three-quarters in 1:24.1 before retreating into the stretch.

Dream Together slipped off the rail while Emoticon Hanover kicked off cover towards the center of the track heading into the stretch. Hannelore Hanover clung to her slimming lead as Emoticon Hanover charged through the center of the course and Dream Together splitting her competition into the sixteenth pole to take a slight advantage at the wire.

Returning $29.60 to win, Dream Together, a four-year-old mare by Muscle Hill from the Andover Hall mare Danae, won her third race in 11 starts this season and her 11th in 33 overall, earning $649,718. Luc Blais conditions for owner Determination and Bob McClure was in the bike.

"Coming in we just wanted to get a good showing for her and everything," McClure said. "But we weren't anticipating the amount of racing luck we've had the last two weeks. Luc's got her on her game, and the other mare too - I didn't know if I caught her in the stretch; she doesn't usually let too many by."

Will Take Charge moved to the top by the quarter and maintained a steady pace in progress to a 1:51.2 track-record mile for aged trotting geldings in the Crawford Farms Trot.

I Know My Chip showed speed heading to the first turn with JL Cruze, from post nine, leaving for position and Will Take Charge floating away. Driver Tim Tetrick tipped the five-year-old Kadabra gelding wide and charged to the front past the quarter in :27.1. He faced no pressure on the lead by the half in :56.1 and three-quarters in 1:23.3 while Top Flight Angel, from fourth, attempted to close from first over with Pinkman in tow rounding the final turn. Will Take Charge finished clear of I Know My Chip in second with JL Cruze third.

Owned by Mac Nichol, Will Take Charge, out of the Yankee Glide mare Celebrity Angel, won his eighth race in 16 starts this season and his 20th in 66 overall, surpassing $800,000 in career earnings. He paid $3.50 to win.

"This horse has raced on the front before; I just think he's better chasing but I thought this was his time to take charge," Tetrick said. "It worked out where I didn't even have to be first up a long way.

"I let him trot along - we got a pretty nice half and if you go too slow sometimes you keep everybody in it [and] you get outsprinted by someone sitting third or fourth at the rail. My horse can carry [the speed] and I wasn't too worried when I saw the half, I was pretty comfortable and cruising from there."

While Hitman Hill posted slow fractions on the lead, American History moved first over to the backstretch and blitzed the pacesetter into the final turn, pulling away to win the first EBC colt elimination in 1:51.1.

Hitman Hill sat second to My Delight rounding the first turn before brushing to the lead past the quarter in :28.1. Continuing to the half in :57.2, Hitman Hill faced no pressure until American History edged first over to the backstretch. The two match strides and accelerated to three-quarters in 1:23.4 before American History overtook Hitman Hill into the stretch. Heavenly Sound, from second to last, rallied wide of horses to finish third with Ghost Dance coming from second over for fourth.

Winning his fourth race in 10 starts this year and seventh in 16 overall, American History, by American Ideal from the Camluck mare Perfect Touch, competes for owners Brittany Farms LLC, Marvin Katz and American History Racing. Yannick Gingras piloted the Tony Alagna trainee who returned $3.30 to win.

"This horse likes to chase horses," Gingras said. "He had plenty left; the plugs were still in. I was taking it easy with him in the stretch but of course he can go more and the other division is tough, too, so I think they can go faster."

Sent the 1-9 favourite, Courtly Choice surged from fourth to the lead heading to the half and flew to a 1:49 win in the second EBC colt elimination.

Ideal Feeling led the field by the quarter in :27 with Real Surreal in the pocket and Keystone Tenacious third. Driver David Miller moved the Blake MacIntosh trainee wide into the stretch and paced up to match strides with Ideal Feeling before powering to the front through a :55 half.

Courtly Choice continued on the lead by three-quarters in 1:21.2. Real Surreal tipped wide from third to chase with Ideal Feeling gaining ground to the inside at the head of the stretch. Ideal Feeling steadily narrowed Courtly Choice's margin but still finished second with Real Surreal taking third and Keystone Tenacious fourth.

By Art Major out of the Camtastic mare Lady Ashlee Ann, Courtly Choice, owned by Hutt Racing Stable, Mac And Heim Stables, Daniel Plouffe and Touch Stone Farms, won his seventh race in 10 starts this season and his ninth in 22 overall, earning $532,796. He paid $2.20 to win.

"I don't want to sound too confident but he races great [either on the lead or off the pace]," Miller said. "He definitely needed a race like that - he's been going pretty hard in the last couple of starts."

Below is the field for the Empire Breeders Classic Colt Final (elimination winners drew first from posts 1-6):

1. Heavenly Sound
2. Keystone Tenacious
3. American History
4. Mach N Cheese
5. Courtly Choice
6. Hitman Hill
7. Ideal Feeling
8. Ghost Dance
9. Real Surreal
AE My Delight

Alexis Faith pulled pocket into the stretch first time and remained in front through the line in 1:52 in the first EBC filly elim. The Casie Coleman-trained daughter of American Ideal sat behind Ms Cheesman as she dashed to the lead and passed the quarter in :27. Driver Jim Morrill Jr. circled Alexis Faith to the lead moving to the second turn while Pueblo Blue Chip, from third, tipped first over through a :56 half.

Pueblo Blue Chip drew within a length of Alexis Faith moving to three-quarters while Ms Cheeseman stalked with a gap in the pocket and Painted Lady behind her at the rail. Through three-quarters in 1:23.3, Alexis Faith turned into the stretch and held off a final bid from Pueblo Blue Chip to win while Painted Lady edged past Ms Cheesman to take third.

Owned by West Wins Stable, Jim Fielding, J. Robert Darrow and Kevin McKinlay, Alexis Faith, out of the Cams Card Shark mare Cannae Cammie, won her third race in nine starts this season and her ninth in 18 overall, compiling $333,168 in earnings. She paid $2.80 to win.

Youaremycandygirl rushed wide around the first turn and strolled on the lead to win the second EBC filly elimination in 1:51.

Im Trigger Happy pushed from the rail to protect positioning with Solitary leaving to the inside of Youaremycandygirl into the first turn. Believe In Me parked Solitary as she tried to tuck towards the cones, prompting Youaremycandygirl three wide through a :27.1 opening quarter.

Youaremycandygirl cleared control moving to the second turn and paced to the half in :56.2. She experienced no pressure on the lead as Im Trigger Happy continued to chase in the pocket and Newsday from first over in third. Following three-quarters in 1:23.2, Youaremycandygirl cruised through the stretch as Im Trigger Happy closed the margin slightly in second and Believe In Me holding third from Solitary shooting through the passing lane. Majorette Angie, finishing fifth, also qualified for the final.

Trained by Ron Burke for owner William Donovan, Youaremycandygirl, by American Ideal out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Sweet Lady Jane, won her fifth race in nine starts this season and her 14th in 20 overall, earning $1,118,609. Yannick Gingras sat behind the $2.10 winner.

Below is the field for the Empire Breeders Classic Filly Final (elimination winners drew first from posts 1-6):

1. Alexis Faith
2. Majorette Angie
3. Solitary
4. Pueblo Blue Chip
5. Im Trigger Happy
6. Youaremycandygirl
7. Painted Lady
8. Believe In Me
9. Ms Cheesman
AE Apothic