Tiz To Dream turned in a gritty performance to take the first of two $152,328 divisions of the Champlain Stakes for freshman pacing fillies tonight at Mohawk Racetrack

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Rookie drivers Doug McNair and Scott Zeron locked horns with Tiz To Dream and FBs Terror, off the gate, and the fillies burned through a :26.2 first quarter before FBs Terror capitulated and took up the pocket spot. Tiz To Dream then led the field through more sensible fractions of :56.1 and 1:25.3. Steve Condren sent 4-5 favourite, You See L A, on the hunt just past the half, and she got to Tiz To Dream’s flank, but the latter filly hung tough to prevail by a head at the wire, in a new lifetime clocking of 1:53.3.

You See L A was second and American West (Jody Jamieson) stepped up from the backfield for third.

Gregg McNair trains and co-owns Tiz To Dream, a daughter of Grinfromeartoear, with Paul Kidd. The filly was a modest $9,000 purchase at last year’s Forest City yearling sale, and has since returned $209,788 for her connections.

“We’ll give her five weeks off and then aim her for the Ontario Sires Stakes Superfinals at Woodbine,” said the elder McNair. “This is already her eleventh start, which is probably more than most of these other fillies have got. We figured we’d give her a little rest.

“We’ve only raced her [off the front] so I don’t know how she’d race covered up,” he added. “She’s a good-sized mare and pretty good gaited. She wears a big hopple. She could get to be a good mare later on.”

Ticket To Rock and Paul MacDonell pulled off a 22-1 upset in the second Champlain division, defeating 2-1 favourite Panagler (Steve Condren) and second choice, Bay Girl (Mario Baillargeon) in another 1:53.3 clocking.

Baillargeon sent a keen Bay Girl jetting to the early lead in this contest, with Cannae Cammie (Luc Ouellette) following on MacDonell’s helmet and Northwest Hanover (Jody Jamieson) tucking in third. Condren and the gray filly, Panagler, were on the move by the 3/8 pole and rushed to the lead, while Ticket To Rock followed comfortably in fifth.

Panagler led the pack into the stretch, but faced an onslaught when Cannae Cammie challenged on the outside and Bay Girl threaded through a hole at the rail. Ticket To Rock came charging from the middle of the track in the final strides to upset them all, with Bay Girl one and a half lengths in arrears for second, and Panagler hanging on for third.

This was the second career victory in six tries for Ticket To Rock, a daughter of Rocknroll Hanover who is owned and trained by Jack Darling. The effort pushed her bankroll to $121,303, and she paid a hefty $46.20, $21.20, and $6.20.

“I got away where I wanted to,” said MacDonell. “I was fifth going to the quarter but then Panagler moved onto the front and I wasn’t sure whether the ones in front of me were going to come out and go first-over. I elected to stay in with [Ticket To Rock] and subsequently they didn’t start to move and I was stuck on the rail. I got out on the last turn and found a seam, and she sprinted home really nice.

“She was on the bit but she wasn’t overly aggressive, which is something these young horses have to learn to do. She seems to be able to adapt to that. I was really impressed by her in that regard.

“Jack mentioned he was really high on her early in the season, then she put in a couple of bad races and he wasn’t sure why. They did a little bloodwork and fixed her up and she’s back to herself.”

To view Friday's harness racing results, click here.

(WEG)