Nearly half of Friday’s card at Woodbine Mohawk Park was dedicated to three-year-olds as round one of the Harvest Series commenced for colt and gelding pacers and trotters.
Take A Gamble quarter pole-moved to the lead in his $17,000 division for pacers, and once he cleared to the top he wasn’t going to be caught.
Flash Cube and Hippyjohn battled to the quarter pole in :27.1 before Flash Cube took command. It was a short-lived lead, however, as Trevor Henry rushed to the top in the backstretch with Take A Gamble. The gelding zipped through middle splits of :55.2 and 1:23.4 before using a :28.4 final frame to win by 1-1/4 lengths over race favourite Flash Cube in 1:52.3. Third best was Bettor Half.
Shawn Steacy trains the son of Bettors Delight-Bad Sister for Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ont. The gelding, who was unraced as a rookie, owns a 2-6-3 record from 16 attempts and he’s potted more than $44,000 to date.
Control Heaven was a popular winner in the second division for the duo of driver Louis-Philippe Roy and trainer Chantal Mitchell.
The gelding swept past Believe In Brian at the quarter pole in :27, and then gave way to Four Finger Floyd in the backstretch. That foe had the field behind him through middle splits of :56 and 1:24.3, but it was Control Heaven who brushed back the lead in the stretch and used a :26.4 closing quarter to win by 4-1/2 lengths over Believe In Brian in 1:51.4. Four Finger Floyd rounded out the Trifecta ticket.
The homebred son of Control The Moment-Somewhereinheaven is now 2-for-17 this season for partners Doug Millard, Mitchell Di Cenzo and Gold Standard Equine LLC. The three-time winner lifted his overall cash stash to $89,093
Lord Anthony was a popular winner in the third division for the pacing colts and geldings. Ed Hensley rallied the Jay Cochlin pupil to the 1:54.1 victory.
Lord Anthony was parked by Mr Charisma through an opening quarter of :27 before muscling past that foe. Mr Charisma opted to retake the lead on the way to the half in :56. Kount Blaster powered up first over against the new leader, and they battled to the three-quarter pole in 1:24.2. Lord Anthony angled off the rail in the lane and kicked home in :29.3 to win by three-quarters of a length over Kount Blaster. Twain Seelster took home the bronze medal.
Percy Jones of Temperance Vale, NB owns the son of Sportswriter-Mach Star who has manufactured a 4-0-3 record from 12 starts this season. Unraced as a rookie, the sophomore has banked over $40,000 in his career.
Mystic was a popular winner for driver Sylvain Filion and trainer Rene Dion in the first division for trotters.
The son of Kadabra-Mystical Oaks got away sixth while Wheeling In Cash fired to the top and had the field chasing him past the quarter pole in :27.2. GQ Magic made a first over bid in the backstretch and was the leader while racing parked past the mid-way point in :57.1. Stonebridge Armour was the next leader as he rallied first-over and showed a short lead while racing on the rim at the three-quarter marker in 1:26.4. Mystic was into the flow on the way to the half, and he made a three-wide move on the way to the three-quarter pole. From there, his used a :28.1 closing quarter to win by a half-length margin over Duke Lavictoire in 1:55.3. Deal With Lucus was third.
Sent off as the 1-2 favourite, Mystic now owns a 3-2-2 record from nine starts for S&R Racing Stable Inc of Acton, Ont. The gelding, who matched his lifetime mark in the winning effort, has banked $87,349 to date.
Urntrouble Hanover rallied from out of the clouds to take home top honours in the second division for trotting colts and geldings. Louis-Philippe Roy got away eighth with the even-money favourite while Buckys Angel and Rosies War Bonds battled through fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:27.4.
The leaders packed it in as the field entered the lane, and Urntrouble Hanover stormed home in :27.2 to rally from tenth to first in a time of 1:56.4. Finishing a length in arrears was runner-up Wickenburgh. HP Running Mass claimed third prize in the 11-horse affair.
The son of Kadabra-Upfront OBs Janet has a 4-1-0 record this season from 14 starts in addition to earnings of close to $40,000. He is owned by Coyote Wynd Farms of Vancouver, BC.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.