Sophomore pacing colt Classic Gent completed a sweep of the Youthful Pacing Series to continue the longest running win streak of the night on Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack.
Driven by Doug McNair, the Blissfull Hall colt earned his ninth consecutive victory this year with a career-best 1:52.2 effort in the $37,000 series final for Classic Farms' Stanley Malec of Belle River, Ont. The series was for non-winners of three races or $15,000 last year.
North America Cup eligible Orillia Joe (Paul MacDonell) fired off the gate from the outside post 10 and rolled to the lead ahead of insider Pappys Pal (Randy Waples) and parked post six starter Classic Gent during a :27-second opening panel. However, Classic Gent was on the move and swept to command as they entered the backstretch.
Classic Gent proceeded to the half in :56 and three-quarters in 1:24.2 with Glammit (Mike Saftic) applying first over pressure and Shark Fantasy (Roger Mayotte) second over. But Classic Gent drew two lengths clear around the final bend and cruised home to continue his perfect sophomore season. Favourite Varadero Hanover (Sylvain Filion), another Cup eligible colt, closed well for second over Glammit and Shark Fantasy. Pappys Pal earned the final paycheque in fifth.
“Coming into the race, I wasn’t sure how it would shape out,” Malec told Woodbine's communications department after the victory. “Doug drove him the same way he usually does and it worked out again tonight. I was fairly confident we’d get the job done turning for home and I couldn’t be happier.”
Classic Gent paid $6.10 to win as the 2-1 second choice. He now has 11 victories from 15 starts on his resume with nearly $80,000 banked in purses.
Classic Gent is scheduled to compete in The Diplomat next beginning on Monday, April 22 at Woodbine.
In other streaking action, O’Brien Award winner Monkey On My Wheel beat the boys in a $24,000 conditioned event to notch her seventh win in the row.
With the inside post advantage, driver Keith Oliver sent the millionairess to the lead over World Away (Anthony MacDonald) and the season-debuting Up The Credit (Jody Jamieson), the 2011 North America Cup champion, before cruising through fractions of :28.2, :57.2 and 1:25. Monkey On My Wheel then held off the late-closing favourite, Bettors Reward (Scott Zeron), and World Away in a tight three-across finish to score in 1:52.4. Rallying home from the back of the pack in :26.4, Twin B Impressive (Sylvain Filion) finished one length behind in fourth as he edged by Up The Credit in the final strides.
The Mach Three miss is now a perfect four-for-four to start her five-year-old campaign for breeder Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont., trainer Travis Umphrey of Guelph, Ont. and co-owner Timothy Kane of St. Albert, Alta.
Monkey On My Wheel paid $6.30 to win as the 2-1 second choice. She now sports 19 wins in 50 starts on her lifetime record with $1.25 million banked in purses.
Later on the card, this year's Aquarius Series runner-up Warrawee Needy made his first Canadian start of the season a winning one in the $34,000 Preferred Pace.
Driven by Jody Jamieson, the 2012 North America Cup starter pulled the pocket and swept to command around early leader Modern Legend (Jack Moiseyev) at the :27.4 first quarter mark and carved out middle splits of :56.3 and 1:23.4 before hanging on by a nose to win in 1:52 flat over the on-rushing Sing For Me George (Rick Zeron). No Bu (Sylvain Filion) rounded out the top three finishers. Modern Legend was fourth and Camaes Fellow (Doug McNair) finished fifth.
Warrawee Needy paid $3.10 to win as the 1-2 favourite. Carl Jamieson trains and leases the four-year-old son of E Dees Cam, who has won nearly half of his 32 career starts while banking $886,925.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.