The first leg of the Beat The Heat Pacing Series was contested in four $20,000 divisions at Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday evening
. The series is for aged pacers that are non-winners of $25,000 in 2011 as of June 1 (winners over $100,000 in 2010 not eligible).
In the first division, it was the Isaac Waxman-trained and Luc Ouellette-driven All Tiger N who crossed the finish line first in a career-best clocking of 1:49.1.
The seven-year-old gelding won in gate-to-wire fashion, leading through fractions of :27.2, :55.1 and 1:22.3. Suprizemegain (Jody Jamieson) got up for second, but was beaten 10 lengths. Power Off (Rick Zeron) held on for third.
The bay picked up his third victory of the season and 19th lifetime win in 61 career outings, which increased his bankroll to $265,963. The son of Christian Cullen-Tiger Turner is owned by Brenda Selwyn Waxman of Dundas, Ont. All Tiger N paid $3.60 to win.
The second division of the Beat The Heat gave 12-1 longshot Shelbys Cobra his first win of the season for trainer Ken Sucee.
Risky Rich (Phil Hudon) lead the field through fractions of :26.4, :55.1 and 1:23.3, but it was driver Paul MacDonell and Shelbys Cobra who took the lead in deep stretch, pacing home in 1:51.3, two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Hamlin Hanover (Randy Waples). Risky Rich held on for third.
The win was the four-year-old gelding’s third lifetime victory in 21 starts, which increased his career earnings to $45,990 for owner Shelby Novick of Delray Beach, Florida. The son of Western Ideal-Sounds Perfect paid $26.70 to win for the upset.
The Anthony Montini-trained F Train captured the third division by a nose as the heavy favourite.
Western Tsunami (Jody Jamieson) lead the field to the first quarter in :27.4, but Keith Oliver pulled F Train from the pocket, taking the lead after the opening panel. The pair held the lead through fractions of :56.2 and 1:24.1, and got under the wire in 1:52.1 over a closing Rock Me Amastreos (Rick Zeron). Nobel Duharas (Jason Brewer) was third.
The five-year-old gelded son of Mark Johnathan-Boop Boop A Doop picked up his 19th win in 76 career outings, increasing his bankroll to $240,941 for owners Albina Montini of Acton and Paul Giammichele of Burlington, Ont. F Train paid $3.70 to win.
Driver Luc Ouellette captured his second Beat The Heat division Saturday night, winning the fourth and final dash with Flem N Em N.
In a charted gate-to-wire to wire effort, Flem N Em N took the opening panel in :26.3, hit the half in :54.4, lost the lead briefly to Outrageous Art (Sylvain Filion), but regained the advantage through three-quarters in 1:22.1. The David Sabatelli trainee paced home in 1:50.3 to win by a quarter of a length over Outrageous Art. Dark Prince (Phil Hudon) finished third.
The win was the six-year-old gelding’s 14th lifetime victory in 62 starts, which increased his career earnings to $154,260 and gave owner Brenda Selwyn Waxman of Dundas, Ont her second Beat The Heat victory of the evening. The son of Courage Under Fire-Equus Franco paid $4.40 to win as the odds-on favourite.
The second leg of the Beat The Heat Series is scheduled for Saturday, July 2 with the $60,000 final slated for Saturday, July 9.
Saturday's card also featured this week's edition of the $45,000 Open Pace, in which Molson Pace, Des Smith and Gold Cup runner-up Art Professor took a new mark of 1:49.1 for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Ben Wallace.
The favoured four-year-old son of Art Major-Allamerican Toffee rallied off cover in :26.2 to win by two and three-quarter lengths over Fire On The Water (Phil Hudon) and Kindly Poet (Rick Zeron). Pacesetter Panesthetic (Luc Ouellette), who carved out fractions of :26.3, :55 and 1:22.1, faded to sixth.
The winner of seven races in 20 starts this year and 15 races lifetime is closing in on the half-million dollar mark in career earnings for owners Bradley Grant of Milton, and Holland Racing Stable Inc. of Aurora, Ont. He paid $3.20 to win.
Major Hottie ($5.50) and driver Chris Christoforou captured the $35,000 Preferred Pace in 1:49 flat by five and three-quarter lengths for trainer Stephen Charlton and owner Larocque Racing Stable Inc. of Thornhill, Ont. while Hilarious Halo ($20.40) matched his mark of 1:50 in $28,000 Preferred 2 Pace with Rick Zeron in the bike for trainer Brad Shakes and owners Dan Mogridge of Hillsdale and Jeffery Oborne of Jordan Station, Ont.
In other action, driver Mario Baillargeon earned his 7,000th career win on the card.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from WEG)