Trotters were in the spotlight during Monday’s 10-race program at Woodbine Mohawk Park as the oval hosted first round action of the Family Day Trotting Series and the Wine & Roses Trotting Series.
Charmbo Prince was a wire-to-wire winner in his $17,000 division of the Family Day Trotting Series for male performers.
Mike Saftic charged to the lead from Post 3 with the four-year-old son of Royalty For Life-Hetties Charm, and together they led the field through fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:27.1 before scooting home in :28.4 to win by three-quarters of a length over Meadowbranch Noble in 1:56. Race favourite Toccoa Falls was third.
It was a lifetime best performance for the four-time winner who races for owners/breeders Jack and Randy Rier. Jack trains the gelding who bumped his lifetime earnings to $74,453 with the victory.
Franks Angel took the other division of the Family Day Trotting Series, and he did so as a 7-1 upsetter for driver Jason Ryan and trainer Dagfin Henriksen.
Ryan sped to the early lead with Franks Angel, who had the field chasing him past the quarter pole in :29.2. Race favourite Bronze Yankee sprinted to the top in the backstretch, and he was the leader while racing parked past the half in :59. He then took the group to the three-quarter pole in 1:27.4, but a re-rallying Franks Angel used a :28.4 closing panel to power to the lead and draw away to the win by 1-1/2 lengths over Archies Star in 1:56.4. Bronze Yankee had to settle for third prize.
The four-year-old son of Archangel-First To The Front now owns a 2-0-1 record from six starts this season for owner Dr. Michael Venneri of St. Catharines, Ont. The nine-time winner pushed his lifetime earnings over $80,000 with the win.
Sheswildnfree was a very popular winner in the lone division of the Wine & Roses Trotting Series for female performers.
Sylvain Filion had her battling with Impulse Buy to the quarter pole in :28.4 before brushing past that foe and securing the top spot as the field moved into the backstretch. Sheswildnfree went on to slice out middle splits of :58.4 and 1:28.3 before using a :28.3 closing quarter to win by 3-1/2 lengths over Impulse Buy in 1:57.1. Taking home the show dough was Tesla Seelster.
Sent off as the 1-9 favourite in the $17,000 affair, the Ben Baillargeon trainee posted her third win of the season from as many tries. The five-time winner, who is a four-year-old daughter of Muscle Mass-Fiery Manes, is a homebred owned by Tom & Elizabeth Rankin of St. Catharines, Ont. The lion’s share of the loot lifted her overall bankroll to $59,958.
Also noteworthy from the Monday evening program was the fact that Camilla Christoforou made her training debut a winning one thanks to an upset score with trotter Kameran Hanover.
Sent off at odds of 25-1, the seven-year-old son of Donato Hanover-Kandor Hanover rallied to victory in a sharp clocking of 1:55.3 for Camilla’s husband, driver Chris Christoforou.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.