A mixed bag of weather could not put a damper on the New Holland Pacing Series, which got underway with two $30,000 divisions on Saturday, March 16 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The first division was contested as the second race of the evening. In that event, HP Momentum (Control The Moment - Momentum Hanover) posted the 11-1 upset with Trevor Henry at the lines.
Poseidon Seelster (Tyler Moore) had been sent off as the 6-5 favourite, and he made the lead from the outermost post in the seven-horse field. The seven-year-old bay gelding held the lead through fractions of :26.4, :56.2 and 1:23.4. Century Heineken (Doug McNair) vacated the four-hole just before the half and applied pressure to Poseidon Seelster on the way to three-quarter mark. Although Century Heineken faded in the stretch and wound up fifth, the damage was done. Softened by the pace pressure, Poseidon Seelster was unable to hold off HP Momentum, who tipped off cover after riding third-over around the final turn, took the lead with less than a sixteenth to go and drew off to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Poseidon Seelster in 1:52, with The Greek Freak (Tyler Jones) third.
HP Momentum paid $24.40 to win and was part of an upset-filled early Pick 5 that paid $48,169.84 for a 20-cent wager. The five-year-old brown gelding is now a 10-time winner in his career and boasts earnings of $218,662. Shayne Barrington trains the gelding for Imagine Stable of L'Ange-Gardien, Que.
The second division immediately followed, but not before a brief weather-induced delay between races two and three. With the track downgraded from fast to good and rain continuing to fall, a half-dozen pacers faced the gate. This time, the favourite did not disappoint. Jilliby Dynamite A (Captaintreacherous - Jilliby Jitterbug) closed at 6-5 and won for Tyler Borth in 1:53.1.
As Poseidon Seelster had done in race two, Jilliby Dynamite started from the outside post and went straight to the front, setting a :27.2 opening quarter. At the three-eighths mark, Uncle Shank A (James MacDonald) left the three-hole in search of the lead, getting to the top in time to record a :55.4 half-mile and leading the field to three-quarters in 1:24. Jilliby Dynamite sat in the pocket behind Uncle Shank and appeared unfazed by both the sight of his fellow Aussie-bred opening up a 2-1/2 lead at the three-quarter mark and the presence of Powertrain (Louis-Philippe Roy) to his outside around the final turn, boxing him in. Powertrain faded in the stretch, allowing Jilliby Dynamite to pop the pocket and drive past for the win. Whichwaytothebeach (Sylvain Filion) grabbed second from Uncle Shank, who had to settle for third.
Jilliby Dynamite A has now won 19 races from 63 career starts and has earnings of $208,754. Meg Crone trains this seven-year-old bay gelding for U.S.-based owners Tom Vasiliou, Cool Cat Racing Inc., Nicholas Tallarico and Archie McNeil.
The second leg of the New Holland Pacing Series takes place next Saturday, with the $60,000 final scheduled for Saturday, March 30.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park
(Standardbred Canada)
New Holland Pacing Series
Considering that it's a series for nonwinners, there are some very good horses entered in The New Holland Series. Last year, of the 13 horses entered, 9 of them won in sub-1:50, and 6 of them won over $100,000.