Huge Mohawk Saturday Card Set
The Canadian Pacing Derby and Metro Pace headline Mohawk Racetrack's $2.4-million program of live racing which is set for this Saturday (September 5) at the Campbellville, Ont. raceway.
The ‘Pacing Derby,’ Canada’s oldest harness race, and the Metro Pace, the richest race for two-year-olds, will both be contested for a purse of $685,000. Joining the two signature events on the card is the $455,000 Shes A Great Lady Stakes, the $229,000 Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old trotters and the $223,193 Simcoe for three-year-old pacing fillies. To view race replays and a complete recap of the stakes eliminations, which took place last Saturday at Mohawk, click here.
The Canadian Pacing Derby – Presented by HPIBET – features a field of 10 with over $18.6 million in combined earnings.
Foiled Again, the 2012 Derby winner and richest Standardbred of all time, will be making his fifth start in Canada’s oldest harness race. The Ron Burke trainee, who finished fourth in his elimination, will start from Post 9 and will look to add to his earnings of $7.1 million.
The Canadian-owned and trained State Treasurer enters the Pacing Derby as the hottest older pacer in harness racing. The Dr. Ian Moore trainee won his elimination last Saturday to extend his current win streak to three. State Treasurer will start from Post 2 with driver Randy Waples and will be seeking a Pacing Derby title to go along with his victories this season in the Molson Pace, Mohawk Gold Cup and U.S. Pacing Championship.
JK Endofanera, the other elimination winner, will look to become the first Pepsi North America Cup winner to also win the Pacing Derby since Gallo Blue Chip accomplished the feat in 2001. Brett Miller drives the Jimmy Takter trainee, who won last year’s edition of Canada’s richest harness race and has returned to win four of nine starts in his four-year-old season. JK Endofanera will start from Post 3 in Saturday’s classic.
The Canadian Pacing Derby has been carded as Race 8 and will head postward at approximately 9:43 p.m.
The Metro Pace is the richest race in the sport for two-year-olds and has served as a stepping stone to greatness for many upper echelon horses over the years.
Control The Moment enters the Metro final as the lone undefeated horse in the field. The son of Well Said won his elimination easily in 1:52.1 to improve to six for six on the season. The Brad Maxwell trainee will start from Post 4 with Waples in the sulky.
Betting Line will look to give trainer Casie Coleman her second Metro title from Post 2 Saturday. The son of Bettors Delight won his elimination in 1:52.2 for his fourth victory in six starts. Betting Line has two Ontario Sires Stakes Gold victories on his resume this season. Steve Condren will handle the driving duties.
Voracity, also an Ontario Sires Stakes star, won his elimination last Saturday in 1:54.3 to earn the right to select Post 3 in the Metro final. The Tony Alagna trainee has a near perfect record with four wins in five starts. The son of Sportswriter’s only loss was by a nose and he also has two Gold victories on the season.
Alagna will also send out Racing Hill from Post 5 and American Passport from Post 10, as he seeks his third career Metro victory.
The Metro Pace has been scheduled as Race 7 and the rookies will line up behind the gate at approximately 9:17 p.m.
The $455,000 Shes A Great Lady Stakes will feature a showdown between two red-hot fillies.
Thatsoveryverynice and L A Delight captured their respective eliminations last Saturday and have both dominated Ontario Sires Stakes action this season.
Thatsoveryverynice, a daughter of Vintage Master, is trained by Alagna and won her elimination in 1:54.2 for her fourth victory in five starts. A daughter of Bettors Delight, L A Delight is trained by Bob McIntosh. The rookie won her elimination in 1:54.2 and will ride a seven-race win streak into Saturday’s final.
The Shes A Great Lady Stakes is carded as Race 10 and post time is approximately 10:27 p.m.
Also on the Saturday program is two divisions of the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old trotters and a single division of the Simcoe Stakes for sophomore pacing fillies.
A group of 15 sophomore trotters have been split into two Simcoe divisions (Race 2 and Race 9), while a field of 12 three-year-old pacing fillies will compete in their Simcoe Stakes for a purse of $223,193.
The Canadian Pacing Derby and Metro Pace will air live on TSN1 Saturday evening from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The 13-race card will feature a special first-race post time of 7:05 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first 2,500 fans to register for their “First Bet on Us” will receive a special commemorative Canadian Pacing Derby T-Shirt.
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at Mohawk, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack.
(WEG)