Gaines Hanover and Warrawee Yang topped the three-year-old male trotters competing for a spot in next weekend's $250,000 Goodtimes Stakes with elimination victories on Friday night, June 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The Breeders Crown winner from last year came back to defend his turf in the first $30,000 elimination for the Goodtimes as Gaines Hanover (pictured above) staved off a furious bid from Southwind Coors to claim victory in a career-best 1:52.1.

Tuscan Prince (Yannick Gingras) powered to the front with Challenger (Dexter Dunn) protecting position from the pylons to race second into a :27.1 first quarter. Driver Louis-Philippe Roy rolled Gaines Hanover from post seven and managed to find a seat for the 1-5 favourite in third as the field moseyed along through a :55.4 half.

With no challengers looming, Tuscan Prince began peeling from the field, which forced Roy to move Gaines Hanover off the pylons to take his shot passing three-quarters in 1:23.4. Gaines Hanover overhauled Tuscan Prince in the lane, but Southwind Coors (James MacDonald) came calling from third-over and motored to nearly match terms for the lead. Gaines Hanover held his ground and held a neck in front to the finish with Tuscan Prince settling for third. Challenger and Dahlquist Hanover (Trevor Henry) completed those advancing to the final.

“I thought going in the last turn my main rival would be Tuscan Prince on the lead there,” said Roy after the race. “I was pretty confident in my horse – he does whatever you want from anywhere. That’s why when I saw Yannick [Gingras on Tuscan Prince] going good fractions on the front, I thought I would just wait and move him later. He made me look good. [Southwind Coors], I mean he went some good races the last couple of races, but I think tonight was one of his most impressive efforts. But [Southwind Coors] impressed me and I had to push my horse a little bit; he had to dig in.”

Gaines Hanover has now won five times from 10 tries and amassed $514,101 for owner Gestion J Y Blais Inc. Richard Moreau conditions the three-year-old gelding by Cantab Hall who paid $2.70 to win.

Warrawee Yang blew out of the pocket to be the only non-favourite to win in elimination action on Friday night when he pulled off a 6-1 mild upset in downing even-money favourite Hasty Bid.

Hasty Bid (James MacDonald) hustled for the lead from post eight while Warrawee Yang landed in the pocket for driver Scott Young to a :27.2 first quarter. The field stacked up the backside with Djimon (Bob McClure) tipping first-over from fourth and waiting for cover to follow, though no one pulled and that left Hasty Bid strolling through a :57.2 half.

Djimon got rolling around the final turn but spun evenly off three-quarters in 1:26 to create a seam for Warrawee Yang in the lane. And with confusion from hooked wheels between Passarino (Jody Jamieson) and Djimon, Warrawee Yang and Hasty Bid were left to duel through the lane clear of pylon-sitter What An Angel (Trevor Henry) in third. Warrawee Yang breezed by Hasty Bid in the last eighth to slide to a two-length victory in a career-best 1:53.3 with What An Angel third, Ghostly Casper (Sylvain Filion) closing for fourth and Djimon holding fifth.

“[We got] a perfect trip behind the best horse in the race… it was awesome,” said winning trainer Mark Etsell after the race. “This colt showed a lot of speed last year, but he’s big and growthy, his knees were bugging him. We wore flip flops on him training down this year and in this last start took them off because I figured we’d get more speed out of him, and he’s shown us just that.”

Warrawee Yang added a fourth win to his 11-race card and padded his earnings now worth $51,530 for Etsell and co-owners Robert Newton, Peter Porter and Denise Turner. The colt by Trixton paid $15.70 to win.

Winners from each of the eliminations contested earned a protected post draw for their respective finals, set to go on the undercard of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup next Saturday, June 17. Each elimination winner has earned the privilege to draw between posts two and six.

The field for the final is listed below in post position order.

$250,000 Goodtimes Stakes
Post - Horse
1. Southwind Coors
2. Gaines Hanover
3. Djimon
4. Warrawee Yang
5. Hasty Bid
6. Tuscan Prince
7. What An Angel
8. Ghostly Casper
9. Challenger
10. Dahlquist Hanover
AE. Captain Chesley

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(With files from Woodbine)