Jimmy Freight paced fastest of the three divisions of the $180,000 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, winning by open lengths in 1:50.2 on a stakes-packed program at Woodbine Mohawk Park Saturday, June 2.
Driver Louis-Philippe Roy sent Jimmy Freight to the front while Trump That paced second through a :26 opening quarter. Lost In Time, the 4-5 favourite, sat fourth into the backstretch before being flushed first over by Pedro Hanover moving to the half, timed in :55.2. Circling the final turn, Jimmy Freight expanded his lead on Trump That as Lost In Time retreated moving to a 1:22.4 third quarter. The Richard Moreau trainee paced clear of his competition through the stretch, winning over Lost In Time recovering to be second and When You Dance in third.
Owned by Adriano Sorella, Jimmy Freight, by Sportswriter out of the Western Ideal mare Allamerican Summer, won his third race in four starts this season and his 10th in 16 overall, earning $264,752. He paid $5.10 to win.
"Coming off the last turn when I saw Louis open up, I thought 'Aw geeze, I hope he's got enough gas to go,' Adriano Sorella said. "Last year he was a really nice horse, but he wasn't really staked to anything when we bought him so we kind of had to stick to the OSS. This year I staked him okay. He's been racing really, really good and I'm excited."
Jimmy Freight is not eligible to the North America Cup.
"I've spent a lot of money on staking in the past," Sorella said. "I wish I staked him to it, but there are a lot of nice horses - the Teague's horse (Lather Up) looks real sharp right now and I know there are a couple other ones waiting in the wings, so I won't take anything away from him but I like how he's been this year."
Burning Midnight blasted through the centre of the course to slide to the top at the wire in the first of three divisions of the Somebeachsomewhere, winning at odds of 28-1 in 1:50.4.
The public's choice, Nutcracker Sweet, rushed to the front, overtaking Hidden Delight while 8-5 second-choice Summer Travel parked leaving from Post 10 in a :27 first quarter. Nutcracker Sweet continued to speed on the lead through a half in :54.2 and three-quarters in 1:22.1 while undergoing minimal pressure.
The backfield pursued Nutcracker Sweet into the stretch with Hidden Delight being the first to strike by popping out of the pocket. Grand Teton fanned off cover from second over while Simple Kinda Man and Burning Midnight angled wide from the rear. Hidden Delight clung to a narrow lead nearing the line but was overtaken by the late bids of Burning Midnight, Simple Kinda Man and Grand Teton respectively.
Returning $59.10 to win, Burning Midnight was driven by Trevor Henry and is trained by Corey Giles for owners Brad Gray and Denise Guerriero. The Mach Three gelding out of the Dream Away mare Respectednbeloved won his fourth race in 10 starts, earning $135,701.
"He looked good (around the last turn and) Trevor (Henry) had a good hold of him," Corey Giles said. "Summer Travel parked first over through a big half and I told Trevor 'You can go for a piece, just keep him brave and when you use him, he'll pace hard down to the wire.'"
Giles confirmed Burning Midnight is North America Cup bound.
Lather Up strolled as the 1-9 favourite to a 1:50.3 victory over a late-charging St Lads Neptune in the second split of the Somebeachsomewhere.
The Clyde Francis trainee received no challenge for the front moving to the first turn, leading Scouts Report through a :27 first quarter. Driver Montrell Teague sat in the bike as Lather Up coasted unpressured through a :55.4 half and three-quarters in 1:23.4 before turning into the stretch a length in front of Scouts Report chasing second. St Lads Neptune, from second over, edged wide and rushed through the stretch to take second, coming three-quarters lengths shy of victory at the wire. Scouts Report finished third and Stock was fourth.
Undefeated in four starts this season and winning his eighth race in 11 starts overall, Lather Up competes for owners Gary and Barbara Illes. The colt by Im Gorgeous, out of the In The Pocket mare Pocket Comb, has earned $142,100 and paid $2.20 to win.
"He did it just as easy as last week," Montrell Teague said. "Plugs were still in, so it's looking good for next week. [When Jody got close to me] I didn't think I had to pop the earplugs. If I popped the earplugs, he would've took off and won anyway.
Lather Up, winning in 1:49.1 against older last week, marked himself as one of the favourites for the North America Cup.
"We'll be prepared with him," Teague said, "but the pressure's going to be on as always. I don't think I'll get as easy a trip as I've given him the last few times, but we'll figure it out."
Dunbar Hall dethroned 2-5 favourite and filly champion Ariana G in the $95,250 Graduate Trot, scoring at 8-1 in 1:53.
Moonshiner Hanover sprinted to the lead in front of Achille Duharas and Ariana G through a :26.3 opening quarter and soon yielded for the pocket to Ariana G in the backstretch. Through a :55.1 half, Ariana G controlled the tempo and slowed it by three-quarters in 1:25 while Bills Man sat alongside first over in second turning into the stretch.
Ariana G held a narrow lead in midstretch and was soon enveloped on the front with Moonshiner Hanover sneaking through a seam at the inside, Achille Duharas angling off the rail, Top Flight Angel from off cover and Dunbar Hall the widest of all trotting from the back. Dunbar Hall brushed by his competition in the final strides to win while Achille Duharas took second, Top Flight Angel third and Bills Man holding fourth.
Owned by Carl Jamieson and George Harrison, Dunbar Hall, a four-year-old gelding by Deweycheatumnhowe out of the Like A Prayer mare Debbie Hall, won his fifth race in nine starts this season and his 10th in 35 overall, earning $232,679. Trained by Stephanie Jamieson and driven by Jody Jamieson, he paid $18.00 to win.
"The turn of foot he had [really made me confident]," Jody Jamieson said. "I think it was really evident on the TV watching the replay. I got a lot of texts and comments about how explosive his turn of foot was and I thought if I got any kind of clean trip, I thought he had a shot. But obviously I was a long ways back; everything had to work out for me tonight but he was very strong. When I got loose in the stretch I yelled at him and kicked the plugs and he did the rest."
Miso Fast blew by pacesetter and 4-5 favourite Lawrencetown Beach at the top of the stretch to stride home victorious in the first of two $63,250 divisions of the Graduate Pace in 1:50.2.
Lawrencetown Beach cleared control from his stablemate Rock N Tony through a :26.3 opening quarter. Miso Fast, sitting fourth, edged first over in the backstretch approaching the half, timed in :55.3. Circling the far turn, Miso Fast sprinted to be alongside Lawrencetown Beach and promptly stuck a head in front at three-quarters in 1:23.3. He continued his blitz pace on the lead through the wire as Lawrencetown Beach attempted to regain control but settling for second.
Bags To Riches, who finished third, was placed seventh for causing interference to Funknwaffles around the first turn while briefly offstride. Photobombr Hanover, finishing fourth, was placed third.
A four-year-old horse by Roll With Joe out of the Artsplace mare Sakura Hanover, Miso Fast, owned by Winchester Baye Acres LLC, won his second race in six starts this year and his ninth in 42 overall, earning $697,200. Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. and driven by Tim Tetrick, he paid $8.00 to win.
"I thought there was going to be a little more speed than there was really," Tim Tetrick said. "I was kind of stuck first up, but going around the last turn I was watching Burke's horse (Lawrencetown Beach) on the front - he always slobs a little bit on the turns and I thought maybe could use his quick foot to get around him and he did."
Maroma Beach inherited a pocket trip and slipped through an opening at the pylons to best 3-2 favourite Blood Line in the second $63,250 Graduate Pace in 1:50.1.
Leading through a :26.3 opening quarter, Maroma Beach soon sat pocket to Blood Line as he brushed to the top moving to the backstretch. Beckhams Z Tam, positioned fourth, moved first over approaching the half, pacing up to the leader's wheel through a :55.1 half. Blood Line maintained the lead passing three-quarters in 1:22.3, drifting slightly off the rail into the stretch. Maroma Beach skimmed the pylons to take a narrow lead from Blood Line in deep stretch, winning by a neck in the end with Blood Line second and Beckhams Z Tam third.
Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Howard Taylor, Maroma Beach, a four-year-old gelding by Somebeachsomewhere out of the Art Major mare Arts Diva, won his third race in eight starts this season and his eighth in 27 starts overall, earning $123,465. Trained by Ron Burke and driven by Tim Tetrick, he paid $29.10 to win.
"[The goal] was to get forwardly placed and it worked out perfect," Tetrick said. "I got to follow Yannick [on] Blood Line, got up the inside late and got up to win. He knows the track - there's nothing new; the scenery doesn't change for them so it never hurts to come back to a place where they've been before."
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.