With Woodbine Racetrack widely known as being a favourable destination for front-end performers, fans took notice Monday night when Ben Baillargeon's North America Cup-eligible pupil Mcaracas closed four-wide and paced away for a four-length win in 1:52.3
.
Trot Magazine has assessed the McArdle colt at odds of 85-1 in its annual Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, but first and foremost, Baillargeon has entered the bay to contest the $25,000 opening leg of The Diplomat Pacing Series, which will head to post this Saturday night in a lone division at Woodbine Racetrack.
"Last year we raced him lightly, but we really didn't do anything with him. He didn't have any stakes races -- the owner didn't pay him in to any stakes last year," Baillargeon said during a recent interview with the Woodbine Entertainment Group Communications Department.
"The owner trained him back this winter, Robert Charron. He sent him to me after he qualified in [1:] 58.3. He said, 'Ben, he's ready to go.' Mr. Charron is a very good trainer; he's trained many good horses in his life. He had him ready. He told me all winter that he was sharp."
Baillargeon explained that Mcaracas qualified with ease in April. "He was really good when we qualified him. I told Mario to go a mile with him in [1:] 55 or 56, and he did so coming home with a last quarter in 28 (seconds). He did it just like he was going a mile in 2:20."
In regard to Mcaracas' closing seasonal debut Monday, Ben said that with the versatility the colt possesses, driver Mario Baillargeon was able to race him somewhat cautiously before coming home with a swift turn of foot. The trainer explained that he didn't want to see the colt get "corked to the half" in 53 or 54 seconds, and that he told Mario to race him from behind if the field was putting up big fractions early on.
"I said, 'if you see that they are going to go, just race him from behind -- he can come home as well as he can leave,'" the trainer explained in the interview.
Of the eight horses that are in to contest The Diplomat's opening leg division, four are NA Cup eligible. Besides Mcaracas, Affleck (110-1 in Spring Book), Jackets Required (48-1 in Spring Book) and recent Youthful Pacing Series champion Willies Place (65-1 in Spring Book).
When asked whether or not Mcaracas in North America Cup material, Baillargeon quipped, "he's in it, but time will tell if he's material or not."
The Diplomat opener has been carded as Race 4 (8:33 p.m.).
To view the entries for Woodbine's Saturday program, click here.