Not even a break in stride behind the starting gate could keep Night Watchman from finding his way to victory lane for the second straight start.
The Craig Barss trainee, who is sustained to the Pepsi North America Cup, rolled to a 1:51.1 lifetime best performance last week at Woodbine Mohawk Park before following up that victory with a 1:52.1 score in a $17,000 conditioned event on Monday night.
Jody Jamieson picked up the catch-drive on the three-year-old son of Hes Watching-Midnight Jet, and after a shaky start which saw the colt break behind the gate he regained his composure and went on to work out a sweet trip.
Night Watchman floated off the gate from Post 9 and dropped into a mid-pack position while Better Than Cash shot to the top and served up an opening quarter clocked in :26.4. Race favourite Ideal Perception looked to brush to the lead in the backstretch, but just as he was about to clear to the top he made a break and scattered the backfield.
Day Delight worked his way to the front and hit the half in :54.3 and then the three-quarter pole in 1:23.3. Night Watchman, who moved up on the cover of Beyond Better, eventually swung off that cover and powered home in :28.1 to win by a pair of lengths in 1:52.1. Beyond Better, another colt sustained to the Pepsi North America Cup, was second. Third prize went to Day Delight.
Night Watchman, who is owned by Barss and Nurko Sokolovic, is now 2-for-3 this season and 3-for-10 in his career. The homebred pushed his lifetime earnings over $50,000 with the win.
Team Best, who also has the Pepsi North America Cup on his dance card if all goes well between now and then, was victorious in his Monday evening assignment for the tandem of driver Doug McNair and trainer Blake MacIntosh.
The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Sports Chic, worked his way to the lead from Post 6 and successfully sliced out fractions of :26.2, :55 and 1:23.3. He was all out late to hold off Reagan Blue Chip in a photo finish. Time for the mile was 1:52.
Hutt Racing Stable, Mac And Heim Stables, Touchstone Farms Inc and Daniel Plouffe share ownership on the two-time winner who pushed his lifetime earnings to $66,237 with the win.
Rebounding after a break last week, Run Director took his turn as the latest older trotter from the Ben Baillargeon barn to win by posting a 1:52.2 score.
A deep field of 10 older trotters, including 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year Forbidden Trade, squared off in this week’s $30,000 top class. There was plenty of action early on with Mass Fortune K leaping Buzz from second to first entering the backstretch, while Dancer Hall was on the move from fourth, eventually clearing to command at the half in :56.2. Dancer Hall led at three-quarters in 1:24.3, as Mass Fortune K was back out and attacking approaching the third station.
Run Director got his cue to go from driver Sylvain Filion, grinding his way uncovered from sixth towards the front. Forbidden Trade moved out from eighth, sitting third-over on the turn, while Hey Livvy tracked him. Dancer Hall and Mass Fortune K continued to battle in the lane, but it was the rallying Run Director and Hev Livvy that stormed by late.
Run Director found the line first in 1:52.2, winning by three-quarters of a length over Hey Livvy. Mass Fortune K claimed third over Dancer Hall.
The Luc Blais-trained Forbidden Trade finished sixth in his four-year-old debut.
A five-year-old, Run Director is now two for three on the season, improving his career totals to 13 wins and $575,037 earned for owner/breeders Tom & Elizabeth Rankin.
On the heels of a nine-win week, Baillargeon put up three more wins on Monday’s card. Three-year-old trotting colt Hayek was a dominant 1:53.3 winner to break his maiden and Bautista captured the finale in 1:54.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(with files from Woodbine)