Pop-Up Series action was aplenty on Thursday, Dec. 5 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with seven divisions of the first leg of the series for $8,000 claimers who are non-winners of $4,000 in their last five on the pace. With four divisions for males and three for fillies and mares, driver Louis-Philippe Roy had the hot hands, plucking one division of each on his way to a driving triple on the card.
Roy's first victory on the evening came in the first $10,000 division for the mares aboard Codys Moment (pictured above) for trainer William Budd.
Leaving from the outside of the gate in the scratched down field of six, Roy secured the pocket spot on the first turn behind 4-5 favourite Golden Leader (Phil Hudon) to the first quarter in :28.3. Riding shotgun through middle half fractions of :58.2 and 1:27.4, Roy tipped the 5-2 second choice from the pocket at the top of the lane. Codys Moment steadily gained ground on the leader, timing her move to perfection to get up by a nose over Golden Leader in 1:56.4. A Disruptor (Anthony Haughan) finished third.
The victory was the fourth of the season for the four-year-old daughter of Control The Moment-Shellyssilvermoon for owners Joe and Nicola Carnovale.
The other two divisions for pacing mares would go to La Coeur Chapeau (Jody Jamieson, $9.50) in 1:56.3, and Rambaran Rose (James MacDonald, $16) in 1:57.4.
After steering Fancy Lettering to victory in the evening's seventh race, Roy's final victory on the night came aboard Hes Got Swagger in the fourth and final Pop-Up Series division for the male competitors.
Leaving from the far outside once again in the field of seven, Hes Got Swagger got away third early while Go Nine O (J.R. Plante) cut the quarter in :27.3. Roy tipped Hes Got Swagger first-over at the half in :57.1, but appeared to be spinning his wheels on the far turn as he spotted the leader 3-1/2 lengths at three-quarters in 1:26. It took until midway down the lane for Hes Got Swagger to find his best stride, splitting horses late to score by a length in 1:56.3. Raising Sand (Billy Davis Jr.) was second, Go Nine O held for third.
It was career win 55 for the Gerard Demers trainee, and eighth of the season for the gelded nine-year-old son of Vintage Master-Bubbles Promise for owner Mickey Sudar.
The other three divisions for the males went to Speedy Blinders (James MacDonald, $7.20) in 1:57.4, Quan Blue Chip (Trevor Henry, $3.90) in 1:57, and Iceneedswhiskey (Brett MacDonald, $9.30) in 1:56.3.
The second $10,000 preliminary leg for the series is slated for Thursday, Dec. 12 before the $20,000 finals go on Thursday, Dec. 19.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)