Trainer Dr. Ian Moore swept the $110,000 divisions of the Grade 3 Nassagaweya Stakes and won one of two $50,000 Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations on the undercard of the William Wellwood Memorial/Peaceful Way card at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Aug. 29.

Shalom Hanover kept his perfect record alive with an easy 1:51 victory in the first Nassagaweya Stakes division for two-year-old pacers. The Moore-trained son of Papi Rob Hanover-Sammys Magic Girl is now five-for-five to begin his racing career.

Driven by Louis-Philippe Roy, Shalom Hanover pushed forward off the wings and gave way to Yes I Am Hanover (Bob McClure) at an opening quarter of :27.1. Shalom Hanover and Roy rode in the two-hole as Yes I Am Hanover slowed the tempo to a :56.4 half. Shalom Hanover received his cue to move entering the far turn, looping immediately to command and taking the field to three-quarters in 1:24.3. The stretch drive would just be a showcase for the undefeated rookie, as he paced away effortlessly in :26.3 to win by 2-1/2 lengths. Big D Energy (Mark MacDonald) finished second, while Yes I Am Hanover (Bob McClure) completed the top three.

Shalom Hanover has now earned $224,558 for owners Shalom Hanover Stable of Cambridge, Ont. The colt has wins in the Tompkins-Geers, two Pennsylvania Sire Stakes legs and the Grade 3 Dream Maker to his credit. His latest Grand Circuit win provides a strong tune-up ahead of the upcoming Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship. He paid $2.10 to win.

Mascarpone gave Moore and company a Nassagaweya double with a 1:51 win in the second division.

The son of Stay Hungry-Creme Fraiche and driver Scott Zeron sat fourth throughout before angling on the far turn and wearing down a gritty Billy Hill (Doug McNair) for a half-length victory. Billy Hill had put up the fractions after clearing to the lead after a :27.4 quarter, posting panels of :56 and 1:23.2. The fast third quarter came when the leader was put under heavy pressure by 32-1 longshot Trashnyourdreams (J.R. Plante), who faded in the stretch. L A Captain (James MacDonald) finished third.

Owned by Mascarpone Stable of Cambridge, Mascarpone is now two-for-five with $109,749 earned to begin his career. The clocking of 1:51 beat his previous best of 1:51.4. He paid $5.20 to win.

Prince Hal Hanover stretched for the lead through a quick first half and held stubbornly for the win in a blanket finish to the second Canadian Pacing Derby elimination.

Leaving from post nine, driver Todd McCarthy nestled Prince Hal Hanover behind odds-on favourite Ervin Hanover (Dexter Dunn) as he brushed towards the front in a :26.3 first quarter. Once Ervin Hanover cleared to control into the backstretch, Prince Hal Hanover ground forward and clawed to the lead just past a :53.2 half, but Ervin Hanover began looming from the pocket around the last turn as Calicojack Hanover (Bob McClure) pushed up the rim with Women Layer (Doug McNair) in tow. Prince Hal Hanover clocked three-quarters in 1:20.4 and extended into the stretch, but he wavered as his rivals kept charging in the final eighth. McCarthy kept his charge to task, and the four-year-old dug in against an onslaught of late pursuers to hit the beam a nose better than fast-closing Women Layer with Ervin Hanover taking third. Ayeaye Captain Deo (Mark MacDonald) stormed over the top for fourth, and Lou Hill (Yannick Gingras) skimmed the pylons to snag the last berth into the final.

“I wanted to see how he got off the car – he was feeling pretty good, we were working forward and I took a shot to keep moving there tonight,” Todd McCarthy said after the race. “It was a big half, but full credit to Doc and the job he’s done with this horse managing him, and to Prince Hal himself. He’s an incredible animal and to fight off a field like that down the stretch is just, it’s really admirable. It’s a pleasure to sit behind him. Off those fractions, I really thought it was going to be hard for him. It was a good group of horses following him. Like I said, he gives me goosebumps. I just love him. I wish every horse could fight as hard as he does. He’s just so much fun to sit behind.”

Moore agreed with the driver's assessment.

“I had to look at the TV a few times. I guess when they call the number first for tests that means you won, so that’s when we started walking down,” the trainer said after the race. “Todd said, ‘I wish I had five more Prince Hals because he’s one of the toughest horses I’ve ever had in my life.’ Every time he goes is just another day for him. He’s battling through some issues now, and that’s just what he does; he just keeps on going. He loves what he’s doing, as Todd said. And he’s just so tough to do it, as well. A lot of other horses would falter with what he’s dealing with now, but he just keeps going. I’m probably going to go easy on him this week to keep him easy and sound and ready to go for next Saturday.”

A stallion by Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip, Prince Hal Hanover won his fifth race from 13 starts this season and his 15th race from 44 starts in his career, raising his earnings to $2,180,168 for owner Prince Hal Hanover Stable of Cambridge. He paid $14.30 to win.

The horse was recognized for previously surpassing $2 million in career earnings with a placard in the winner's circle.

Moore has 36 wins from 132 starts this season, including the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup with Prince Hal Hanover, the Dream Maker with Shalom Hanover and the Millard Farms.

Driver Jordan Stratton secured a pocket ride with For Once Inmy Life and steered the gelding to a lifetime-best 1:47 victory in the first Canadian Pacing Derby elimination.

Stratton hustled his charge forward out of post six and took the lead into the first turn while even-money favourite Best Chip (Tim Tetrick) loomed up the rim. Best Chip overtook For Once Inmy Life by a :25.4 first quarter and rolled up the backstretch under no pressure towards a :54.2 half. He remained on the muscle through the last turn, clocking three-quarters in 1:21, and set down for the stretch drive as Stratton angled outside for the attack. For Once Inmy Life motored from the pocket trip and darted by Best Chip with ease in the final eighth of a mile, spurting clear by 1-3/4 lengths at the finish. Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett) gave chase in third, Crack Shot (Doug McNair) rallied from a second-over trip for fourth and Oakwood Ardan Ir (James MacDonald) rallied widest down the track from last for fifth to make the final.

“He’s really sharp right now and he raced really good at Pocono,” Jordan Stratton said after the race of For Once Inmy Life's 1:48.4 victory on Aug. 22. “The trip worked out tonight. It’s not a win on P.E.I., but it still feels good. He got stretched out [in] a couple of miles and seemed to recover from it and raced really good tonight. It’s a long stretch, [and] Best Chip is on his toes right now, so I wasn’t 100 per cent confident, but halfway down the stretch he felt pretty good.”

Cory Stratton trains For Once Inmy Life, a six-year-old gelding by Downbytheseaside-Flyme To The Moon, for owner Winters Racing Stable of Foxboro, Mass. The gelding has now won 10 times from 21 starts this season and 24 times from 75 starts in his career, banking $905,809.

“He’s just a very nice animal,” said Victoria Stratton of Stratton Stables. “He takes care of himself, he jogs like a turtle… you would never know he paces that fast. He’s just easy. He’s always been there and he just likes the bigger tracks. Keeping him off a half[-mile track] has probably been the best move for him. I’m not surprised at all, honestly.”

Sent to post as the second choice in the betting, For Once Inmy Life paid $5.20 to win.

Each elimination winner earned draw protection between posts two and six for the Grade 1 Canadian Pacing Derby final, slated as one of the headline races for the Saturday, Sept. 5 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Below are the post positions for the final.

$705,000 Canadian Pacing Derby (G1)
Post - Horse - Elim Driver - Trainer
1. Women Layer - Doug McNair - Virgil Morgan Jr.
​2. Lou Hill - Yannick Gingras - Petter Engblom
​3. Oakwood Ardan Ir - James MacDonald - Robert Cleary
​4. Best Chip - Tim Tetrick - Joe Bongiorno
​5. For Once Inmy Life - Jordan Stratton - Cory Stratton
​6. Prince Hal Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Dr. Ian Moore
​7. Ayeaye Captain Deo - Mark MacDonald - Garry Merner
​8. Crack Shot - Doug McNair - Gregg McNair
​9. Ervin Hanover - Dexter Dunn - Dave Menary
​10. Coaches Corner - Jason Bartlett - Petter Engblom
​AE. Clever Cody - Louis-Philippe Roy - Francois Lecomte

Conditioner Tony Beaton swept the $120,000 Eternal Camnation divisions as his two-year-old fillies, Waves Of Fortune and Twin B Copacabana, converted as favourites.

The first division opened Saturday’s stakes action with Waves Of Fortune rocketing from third-over at the head of the lane to win in 1:50.4.

A daughter of Bettors Delight-Cozy Beach, Waves Of Fortune delivered for driver James MacDonald. The Ontario Sires Stakes standout was making her Grand Circuit debut off back-to-back wins and used :26.4 final-quarter speed to sweep by rivals for a two-length score.

Heavens Touch (Louis-Philippe Roy) held second after moving to the lead in the second-quarter and facing pressure to three-quarters from Treacherous Nova (Jason Bartlett), who crossed the line third. The fractions were clocked in :26.2, :55.3 and 1:23.2. The mile of 1:50.4 shaved a fifth of a second off Waves Of Fortune’s previous best.

Winning trainer Beaton shares ownership of the rookie filly with Lisa Lefort of Waterdown, Ont., David Mercer of Westmount, N.S. and Teresa Davidson of Milton, Ont. Waves Of Fortune is now three-for-five with $169,500 earned. A $2 win ticket returned $4.30.

Twin B Copacabana completed the Beaton sweep with a 1:50.2 score in the second split. Driven by Mark MacDonald, Twin B Copacabana flashed early speed and had to deal with first-turn interference from a breaker. The filly worked around the trouble and the leader past a :26.3 opener, posting clips of :55.2 and 1:22.4 on the front. Twin B Copacabana had pressure at the head of the lane from the two-hole popping Twin B Mayreau (Louis-Philippe Roy). Those two would be joined by a trio of others for a wild finish, in which the top five were separated by 1-1/4 lengths.Twin B Copacabana dug in gamely to reach the wire first, holding off the hard-closing Money Carlo (James MacDonald) by a head and Jersey Bulldog (Bob McClure) by a neck.

A daughter of Cattlewash-Lovely Erin, Twin B Copacabana improved to three wins from six starts to begin her career for owners Copacabana Stable of Waterdown, racking up earnings of $143,000. Her 1:50.2 clocking matched her career best, which she took in her most recent start in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold on Aug. 17. Twin B Copacabana paid $6 to win.

Recent import Francent N has already made waves at Yonkers Raceway since her North American debut on July 31, and the mare travelled north off a victory in the top class at that track last out to take the $50,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace on Saturday. The race contained seven of nine entrant's for next Saturday's Milton Stakes, to which Francent N supplemented.

Louis-Philippe Roy sent her wide into the turn to work to the lead past a :27 quarter, but the mare's command quickly passed to Twin B Joe Fresh (Dexter Dunn), who rolled up from third going to a :54.1 half. Francent N remained bottled up in the two-hole through three-quarters in 1:21.4 and into mid-stretch, but as Twin B Joe Fresh drifted out, the Kiwi-bred blitzed up the cones to prevail in 1:48.1. Rodeo Drive Deo (Yannick Gingras) flew late for second, a half-length off the winner, with Twin B Joe Fresh third.

Francent N, another sharp acquisition from Down Under by Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy, Que., has won three straight starts and is now six-for-12 this season. Jacques Dupont took over the training from Pat Lachance as the six-year-old daughter of Vincent-Mary Niven crossed the border for her 16th career win from 34 starts and raised her earnings to $315,017. The win price was $4.20.

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

(Woodbine Mohawk Park & Standardbred Canada; photo of Shalom Hanover winning on Aug. 29)