Three-year-old pacing colts butted heads during Monday’s 10-race card at Mohawk Racetrack, as the Campbellville oval shelled out some serious cash in a set of OSS Gold Series divisions.
Big Moment prevailed in what turned out to be a wild finish in the first division. J Js Delivery wheeled the field through fractions of :26.2, :55.1 and 1:23 before being swarmed by a host of challengers from the backfield. Big Moment, who was no better than sixth throughout the first three-quarters of the mile, stormed home in :27.1 for Trevor Henry and that was good enough to earn the pacer the 1:51.2 decision. Runner-up J Js Delivery and third-place finisher Mr Carrotts both came up a nose short in the $105,000 affair.
Bob McIntosh trains the son of Camluck-Breathtacular for Robert McIntosh Stables Inc of Windsor and Max Newham of Merlin, Ontario. The gelding won for the second time this season and for the fifth time in his career. The lion’s share of the loot lifted Big Moment’s lifetime earnings to $118,380.
Drachan Hanover played ‘giant killer’ in the second division when he upended heavily-favoured Physicallyinclined in 1:50.2. Those two battled to the quarter pole in :26.2 before Drachan Hanover worked his way to the top for Rick Zeron. Physicallyinclined promptly retook the lead in the backstretch, and he proceeded to the lead the field through middle splits of :55 and 1:23. Zeron angled Drachan Hanover off the rail in the lane and the colt powered home in a :27-second clip to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Physicallyinclined. Robert Hill tagged along to finish third.
Marcel Barrieau trains the son of Jeremes Jet-Driven To Sin for Nova Scotia partners Lloyd MacLean of Inverness and Kenneth Rankin of Port Morien. Their $4,500 purchase from the 2013 Harrisburg Yearling Sale won for the first time this season while pushing his lifetime earnings to $225,202.
On the undercard it was Catch The Dream using come-from-behind tactics to pull off a 14-1 upset in the $34,000 Preferred Handicap for trotters. Doug McNair got away seventh with the Bruce MacDonald trainee, and the trotter remained seventh while Doubledown Gass and Etruscan Hanover took turns on the lead through fractions of :27, :55.2 and 1:23.1. The leaders tired and Catch The Dream uncorked a :27.2 closing panel en route to winning by a neck over Etruscan Hanover in 1:52. Doubledown Gass put up a good fight to finish a bang-up third.
Daniel MacIsaac of Charlottetown, PEI owns the seven-year-old son of Cash Hall-Anything But Love who won for the third time this season. The 27-time winner has banked more than $424,000 to date. The 1:52 performance was a career best for the gelding.
The lone race on the card for rookies saw nine fillies line up behind the starting gate, and Thisorthathanover went on to blow away her foes in 1:54 – matching the North American season’s record set last week by her stablemate, Kays Shadow.
Randy Waples hustled the James ‘Friday’ Dean-trained lass to the lead and she strolled through fractions of :27.2, :57.3 and 1:26.2 before sprinting home in :27.3 to win by 5-1/2 lengths over Maniana. Golden Idol was a well-beaten third.
Sent off as the 2-5 favourite in the $14,000 event, the daughter of Sportswriter-Transfer Hanover recovered a portion of her $110,000 purchase price. The youngster, who is owned by Scott Horner of Toronto, Ontario, was acquired at last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale. She’s the half-sister to Take That Hanover (1:49.4 - $202,610).
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.