Coleman On Sportswriter's Debut

Metro Pace champion Sportswriter made his 2010 debut on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack and finished second for driver Mark MacDonald behind

Kid Carson by a quarter-length in 1:50.2.

Sportswriter rallied from sixth at the top of the stretch with a strong :26.3 final quarter to just miss in the last strides.

“We definitely wanted to win obviously," said co-owner and trainer Casie Coleman in a post-race interview with WEG's Greg Blanchard. "They went some wicked early fractions, he had to have been at least 10 off at the half. He waited to flush cover and it ended up we were fourth over and he was actually about four-wide coming out of that top turn at Mohawk, which just being two or three-wide is hard enough. Mark said he was in full flight flying home and then he had to check him when all that commotion happened halfway down the lane and he just missed by a nose and right past the wire he went by. I think he came home in :26 and a piece so I was happy with him.

“That’s about right where we were planning. I was planning to do it with a win obviously but he could have been better. If we didn’t have to check him halfway down the lane when that commotion happened he would have sailed by, but there's nothing we can do about that.”

Coleman confirmed that the horse will stay in Ontario as he continues his march towards the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk on June 26.

“Right when he came in he didn’t even look like he’s raced hardly. He came out of it real well. It’s only 10 minutes after but he thinks he won the race and he’s not even blowing so that’s a good sign."

To view Saturday's results, click here.

(With files from WEG)