Mohawk Racetrack's Saturday night program of harness racing was filled to the brim with stake eliminations for next weekend's Metro Pace, Shes A Great Lady and Canadian Pacing Derby

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Metro Elims Complete; Field Set For Million Dollar Showdown

Four $40,000 eliminations of the Metro Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings took place tonight at Mohawk Racetrack with the top two horses from each elimination advancing to the final, plus two third place finishers drawn by lot.

Big Jim prevailed as the heavy favourite in the first elimination in a new lifetime mark of 1:50.2 for driver Phil Hudon.

Hudon wasted little time from Post 7 as he sent Big Jim to the front and cleared just past the opening quarter in :27.2.

Big Jim got the respect he deserved on the front-end and put up middle-half speed of :55.2 and 1:23.2. Driver Tim Tetrick and Line Officer enjoyed a two-hole trip throughout the mile with Wink N Atcha and John Campbell third along the rail.

Down the stretch, Big Jim received little threat from his rivals and cruised to a three-quarter length victory over Line Officer with Wink N Atcha third.

“I never told Phil [Hudon] anything before the race. He was 4-5 and that’s the way he should have been. I was glad he left with him. He takes it pretty easy on himself, he’s sleeping a lot in the barn and anyone can drive or train him,” trainer James ‘Friday’ Dean commented in the winner's circle.

“All I’ve been doing is interviews every night and hopefully he come out of the race good. I’ll be happy when next Saturday comes,” owner Jim Carr commented.

Carr also noted that any child that wishes to come out and celebrate Big Jim’s victory in the winner's circle and have their picture taken is encouraged to do so.

“Any kid can come out and get his picture taken. I love the kids and they can all come out in the winner's circle and see Big Jim,” Carr said.

With the victory, Big Jim's earnings climbed to $105,825. The Western Ideal-Bold Pink colt is now three-for-five on the year with prior victories in the Nassagaweya Stakes and Dream Maker Pacing Series Final.

A mile time of 1:50 gave Prodigal Seelster the big ticket into next Saturday’s big event.

The son of Camluck-Platinum Seelster was positioned fourth by driver Tim Tetrick after leaving from Post 4 as driver Jody Jamieson and Mystician took command of his
rivals before the opening panel of :27.

As the field headed down the backstretch, Tetrick pulled on the right line and sent Prodigal Seelster to command before the half in :55.1. The 4-5 favourite took his rivals past three-quarters in 1:22.3 with Mystician positioned second.

Down the stretch, Jamieson tried to rally Mystician past Prodigal Seelster but failed as Prodigal Seelster was victorious with Mystician second, two and a quarter lengths behind. Roll With Joe and Brian Sears came from off the pace to finish third and drew in to the final.

“I was very impressed with him last week. He was so professional; he’s like a four-year-old with high speed. Dave [trainer Dave Menary] does a really good job and we’ve had some good luck this year and I always get power in-between the shafts,” Tetrick commented.

“He’s fitting the bill that’s for sure, there are four divison and we get to pick our post and I’m very happy. I’m always big on giving drivers directions but on this guy I haven’t said a word, he’s so versatile and he’s like a four-year-old,” trainer Dave Menary stated in the winner's circle.

Prodigal Seelster's earnings stand at $253,205 for Menary’s father Larry of Cheltenham, ON along with Denis Breton of Welland, Ken Ewen of Georgetown and the Double Or Nothing Stable of Hamilton, ON. He has won four (consecutive) times in six starts including a division of the Nassagaweya Stakes and the Battle Of Waterloo.

Wind Me Up pulled off a 9-1 upset in the third elimination for driver David Miller.

Rollwithitharry and driver Ron Pierce took command from Post 3 before the opening panel of :27.1 with Miller and Wind Me Up positioned fourth.

As the field marched towards the half, Miller urged his charge to take over command at the mid-way point in :55.3.

Wind Me Up took his rivals past the final quarter in 1:23.3 as Pierce and Rollwithitharry pocket-pulling before the top of the stretch with heavily favoured Lookinforadventure nad John Campbell five lengths back.

Wind Me Up dug deep in the late stages of the mile to win in 1:51.4 over Rollwithitharry with Keystone Velocity and driver Jody Jamieson completing the triactor.

“He did start out very sharp and caught everyone’s attention. I always thought this horse had a lot of ability. I wasn’t planning on racing on the front but it appeared we were not going much so I moved him to the front and he got a middle-half breather,” Miller commented in the winner's circle.

“I have a lot of confidence and George [Teague] does a great job with the colt so I’m sure he will be ready next week.”

Wind Me Up paid $21.50 for the brother and sister team of George and Brenda Teague.

The son of Bettors Delight-Breathe lifted his bankroll to $51,869 for George
Teague of Harrington, Delaware and Theodore Gewertz of New York. The win was his third in five outings this year.

The Jimmy Takter trainee Great Vintage was victorious in the final elimination of the Metro Stakes for driver John Campbell.

Ideal Joe and driver Andy Miller left from Post 7 and was parked three-wide going into the first turn but did advance to the front ahead of Dreamfair Kovu and driver Randy Waples at the opening quarter in :26.2.

There was lots of movement as the field marched towards the half with Waples moving Dreamfair Kovu to the front and then Feel Like A Fool and driver Brian Sears coming around him to take command.

Feel Like A Fool took his rivals past three-quarters in 1:23.1. As the field turned from home, Campbell capitalized with Great Vintage as he came from off the pace to win in 1:50.4 by one and a half length over Feel Like A Fool with Ohmygosh Hanover and driver Mark MacDonald finishing third and also drawing into the final.

"His mile in [1]:54.4 over Yonkers [Raceway] was just as impressive. He's very versatile, which is his best attribute. He was pretty eager coming from off the pace so I was pretty confident in my horse," Campbell said in the winner's circle.

"We had a lot of problems with him to get him here, there were some issues he had to deal with. He's more aggressive then his brother Vintage Master [winner of $1,840,154] but hopefully we have some luck next week," Takter stated.

Great Vintage now has earnings of $57,603 for owners Christina Takter of East Windsor, New Jersey, John Fielding of Toronto, ON, Goran Anderberg of Sweden and Falkbolagen Ab of Sweden. The son of American Ideal-Arts Vintage has won four (consecutive) times in five outings.

All four elimination winners were granted their selection of post for the lucrative final listed below:

1. Great Vintage
2. Wind Me Up
3. Prodigal Seelster
4. Big Jim
5. Feel Like A Fool
6. Ohmygosh Hanover
7. Roll With Joe
8. Line Official
9. Mystician
10. Rollwithitharry

Pretty Katherine Equals World Record In Shes A Great Lady Eliminations

Trainer Casie Coleman and driver Mark MacDonald celebrated two victories in three $35,000 eliminations of the Shes A Great Lady Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies tonight at Mohawk Racetrack. The top three finishers from each elimination secured their spot in the $688,000 final.

Pretty Katherine equaled A And Gs Confusion's world record of 1:50.3, set in 2007, in the first elimination.

The heavily favoured daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-Fox Valley Shaker left from Post 5 and settled away in fourth as Show And Tell and driver John Campbell led her rivals past the opening quarter in a quick :26.1.

Show And Tell was not challenged early in the mile as she set honest middle-half speed of :54.4 and 1:22.4.

MacDonald and Pretty Katherine used first-over tactics around the final turn and drove away from her rivals down the stretch to win convincingly but five and a quarter lengths. Show And Tell led her rivals to the top of the stretch but faded as Shyaway and Brian Sears came from off the pace to capture second place with Modern Connection and driver Andy Miller third.

“It set up nicely when they went big fractions and I had her wrapped up down the stretch. It was pretty amazing. She was pretty special here on Monday [in her division of the Eternal Camnation Stakes], I wanted to race her from off the pace but I wasn’t sure if I could. If I kept her pacing she would of set a world record, she hasn’t even come close to her bottom yet,” MacDonald commented in the winner's circle.

“She was quite impressive here tonight. Mark was flat out in the bike and she was scary good. I have a bunch of quality fillies this year and some that are really nice that haven’t even raced yet so I’m very much exited about what I have,” Coleman stated.

John Liviakis of Mill Valley, California owns the undefeated miss, who now has four wins on her record and career earnings of $81,014.

Strike An Attitude was victorious in a minor upset in the second elimination.

Driver Mark MacDonald sent the favourite Mater Deo to the front before the opening quarter of :27. Jody Jamieson also left alertly and was positioned second with Buck Stops Here.

MacDonald wasn’t feared on the front-end and used light middle half speed of :56 and 1:25.1, which turned the race into a sprint for home.

Down the stretch, horses from off the pace capitalized including 4-1 third choice Strike An Attitude, who roared off cover to win in 1:52.3 by a half length over Southwind Jazimin and driver Jack Moiseyev with Buck Stops Here third after enjoying a two-hole trip.

“We fooled with her bridle for a couple of starts because she was a little weak at the end. I thought she was going to be best on the front-end but I was wrong. I wasn’t surprised because she usually finishes very strong off a helmet,” Condren stated.

“I knew she could probably come a half in :54 if she wanted to, so I wasn’t too concerned by the slow fractions.”

Strike An Attitude was this year's Whenuwishuponastar champion. The daughter of Western Hanover-Strike A Balance has won half of her six starts and earned $66,822 for trainer Bob McIntosh.

Strike An Attitude is owned by McIntosh along with Paul Ysebaert of Mooretown, ON and CSX Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio.

Idyllic kept her undefeated streak in tact in the final elimination, winning in 1:51.4.

Ms Malicious used her Post 1 to full advantage as she took command before the opening quarter of :27 for driver Tim Tetrick. Mark MacDonald got away second with Idyllic but was not content in the two-hole and rallied the daughter of American Ideal-Magical Dreamer to the front before the half in :56.1.

Driver Doug McNair and Swinging Beauty came first-over past three-quarters, which was marked in 1:24.4, but as the field headed for home, MacDonald and Idyllic opened up three and three-quarter lengths on her rivals to win for owners West Wins Stable of Cambridge, ON, Michael La Cova and Joseph Lacova of West Islip, New York and John Campagnuolo of Loxahatchee, FL.

"She's a really nice filly, very strong and was going away. It's hard to compare the two [Idyllic and Pretty Katherine]. That's why I really like this filly because she has lightening speed like her father, American Ideal. These are great fillies, it's special what Idyllic did but what Pretty Katherine did was just jaw-dropping."

Rockratese and driver Sylvain Filion used a huge final quarter to secure her spot in the final with Ms Malicious hanging on for third.

Idyllic paid $4.00 for the win. With four wins on her card, she has earned $80,264 to date.

All three elimination winners were granted their selection of post for the lucrative final listed below:

1. Strike An Attitude
2. Shaway
3. Pretty Katherine
4. Idyllic
5. Rockratese
6. Mater Deo
7. Modern Connection
8. Ms Malicious
9. Buck Stops Here
10. Southwind Jazmin

Hypnotic Blue Chip Delivers In Canadian Pacing Derby Elim

Hypnotic Blue Chip made the most of a second-over trip by thundering past rivals in the stretch to capture the single $50,000 elimination for this year’s Canadian Pacing Derby for older pacers on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.

Jody Jamieson guided the compact four-year-old son of Art Major–A Traceofmagic and had him positioned fifth through a first quarter of :26.1, which was supplied by Bigtime Ball and driver Paul MacDonell.

As the field approached the half, Jamieson was able to slip out on the back of Annieswesterncard and Ron Pierce, who had been parked since the outset. Bigtime Ball remained on top past the half in :54.3 with Annieswesterncard hanging in first-over and Lisagain and Andy Miller tripping out along the inside third.

Meanwhile, Hypnotic Blue Chip was poised second-over as the field reached the third marker in 1:22.1. As soon as Annieswesterncard began to tire, Jamieson pulled the trigger three-wide and his charge responded with a vicious :25.4 final quarter to haul down Bigtime Ball by one and three-quarter lengths lengths with Lisagain holding on for the show spot.

“He’s [Hypnotic Blue Chip] come to life again this year as a four-year-old racing again the best in the world,” said Jamieson. “When I first looked at the program I wasn’t sure how the race was going to unfold and I was even less sure going into the first turn with Annieswesterncard on the outside.

“Annieswesterncard is a quality horse and I just figured if I got him in front of me he would take me far enough. He [Hypnotic Blue Chip] was just great tonight, he popped off cover just like he did ‘Hambo’ day with a big last quarter. I just hope seven days from now he will be just as good.”

It was the sixth win in 19 starts this season for the Kevin McDermott trainee and elevated his seasonal earnings to just over $518,000 for owner Francis Azur of Coraopolis, Pennsylvani. He returned just $2.80 as the popular winner.

The connections of Hypnotic Blue Chip had the option of a bye straight to the final but opted to race instead. By virtue of his win, they also got to choose their post for the final and opted for Post 2.

Shark Gesture, Vintage Master and Won The West did accept byes into the final and will join the top seven finishers from Saturday’s elimination in next weekend’s $780,000 final. Here is a look at the complete field in post position order:

1. Keystone Horatio
2. Hypnotic Blue Chip
3. Blueridge Western
4. Won The West
5. Bigtime Ball
6. Lucky Man
7. Bettor Sweet
8. Shark Gesture
9. Vintage Master
10. Lisagain

To view Saturday's results, click here.

(With files from WEG)