Things didn’t look very good for a locked in and shuffled back Can He Go around the final turn at Woodbine Racetrack in Monday’s $50,000 final of the Autumn Stakes, but things really changed for the rookie when room opened up in the lane.
With Randy Waples at the lines, Can He Go shook loose late and powered past foes in the final strides en route to posting a 17-1 upset for trainer Mark Austin and owner/breeder Robert Chapple of Chatham, ON.
Can He Go got away third from the starting gate, and that gave him a ringside seat to a quarter-pole battle between Sir Butler and race favourite Brees Creek. They zipped by that post together in :26.1 before Brees Creek worked his way to the top. Brees Creek led the field to the half in :55.3, but he later gave way to the backstretch-brushing George Jettison. That front-stepping foe held the lead at the three-quarter marker in 1:25, but he was swallowed up by a host of challengers from the backfield. Can He Go found a late seam and used a :28.4 closing panel to win by 1-1/4 lengths over D Gs Camme. Sir Butler took home the show dough.
“He’s always shown a decent kick at the end of the mile, but it usually takes him a few starts to get his legs under him,” said trainer Mark Austin following the win. “I told Randy [Waples] to score him down tonight and get his attention. He gave him a good trip and found a seam late in the mile.”
It was the first win in nine tries for the son of No Pan Intended-Canadette, who lifted his lifetime earnings to $35,848 with the win.
Monday’s card also featured a set of Autumn Stakes eliminations for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings, with those $25,000 tilts going to the heavily-favoured tandem of Noble Warrawee and Nowucit Nowudont.
Noble Warrawee survived a first-over journey in the opening elimination en route to his 1:58 score for driver Randy Waples. The son of Angus Hall-Warrawee Fourleaf watched Tyrone Showstopper and Jetcrest take turns on the lead through first-half fractions of :29 and :58.2 before making his first-over bid. Jetcrest was still on top at the three-quarter pole in 1:27.4, but Noble Warrawee was inching in. Noble Warrawee’s :30-second closing quarter was enough to earn him the win by three-quarters of a length in 1:58 over Tyrone Showstopper, with Woodruff a hard-closing third
It was the second consecutive victory for the Mark Steacy-trained Noble Warrawee, who is owned by Steacy and partners David Reid, Dr. Malcolm Man Son Hing and Hudson Standrdbrd Stb Inc. The five-time winner, went 0-for-6 as a rookie, has banked $66,107 to date.
Nowucit Nowudont was a very handy winner in the second elimination for the duo of driver Scott Zeron and trainer Per Henriksen. The son of Kadabra-Dibrizzi got away fourth and watched Yackety Yak lead the field to the quarter pole in :27.2. Zeron was on the move first-over in the backstretch with Nowucit Nowudont, and he chased Yackety Yak to the mid-way point in a :57-second clip before overtaking that foe shortly thereafter. Nowucit Nowudont had four lengths on the others at the three-quarter marker in 1:25.3, and his :30-second closing panel was good enough to earn him the four-length score over Windsong Ingenius in 1:55.3. Ima Magician Too took home the show dough.
The gelding improved this year’s record to 6-1-1 from 13 starts for the Patricia Stable of Massapequa, NY. The eight-time winner increased his lifetime earnings to $57,908 with the win.
(Quotes from WEG)
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.