Talented trotters of the three-year-old colt and gelding class sparred in a set of $30,000 Goodtimes Stakes eliminations Friday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with the top five finishers from each contest punching a ticket to next Saturday’s $247,000 final.
O’Brien Award winner Forbidden Trade pulled off a 5-1 upset in the first elimination for the tandem of driver Bob McClure and trainer Luc Blais.
Forbidden Trade looped around the fleet-footed Only For Justice at the quarter pole in :27.2, but heavily favoured Swandre The Giant swept from third to first when the field entered the backstretch. He eventually worked his way to the top and proceeded to chop out middle panels of :56.2 and 1:26.1.
Swandre The Giant went into sprint mode in the lane, but Forbidden Trade’s :26.3 closing quarter earned him the win by a neck over Swandre The Giant in 1:53.1. Also advancing to next Saturday’s final will be Smart As Hill, Super Schissel and Only For Justice.
“I didn’t have him until the wire,” said McClure following the victory. “I figured if I could get to the front he would be coming, and it worked out good.
“He grew up a lot, matured a lot and has always been really fast," he added. "He got a nice trip and took advantage of it.”
After going 7-for-11 in last year’s rookie campaign, the three-year-old son of Kadabra-Pure Ivory improved this year’s record to 1-1-0 from his first two trips of the season for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination of Montreal, QC. The $15,000 payday bumped Forbidden Trade’s overall cash stash to $333,502.
Pilot Discretion captured the second elimination to extended his undefeated record to five wins in as many tries for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Tony Alagna.
The son of Muscle Hill-Self Indulgent took a brief tuck into the four hole in the first turn while Southwind Avenger and Dream Nation battled to the opening quarter in :27.1 . McCarthy moved Pilot Discretion off the rail as the field travelled into the backstretch, and they worked their way to the front before cutting out middle splits of :55.1 and 1:24. A :28-second closing quarter was more than enough for the colt to win by 3-1/2 lengths over Southwind Avenger in 1:52. Also advancing to the final are Dream Nation, Jumpshot and Knight Angel.
“He’s just been really good this year coming back,” said Alagna. “We were so high on the colt last year, but he just wasn’t ready to go. We raced him twice at Lexington for experience and had hoped to race him in the Valley Victory and he got sick on us, so we put him away for the year. He trained back great in Florida this winter. We were high leaving Florida and hoping he would do what he’s doing right now.
“David Anderson owns the colt with Robert LeBlanc and they’re from Canada originally and of course in partnership with John Fodera," he added. "It’s a fun group to have a horse for of this caliber and we thought it would be a great time to try the stakes trail with this horse.”
Robert Leblanc, David Anderson and John Fodera share ownership on the talented trotter who upped his lifetime earnings to $41,000 with the victory.
The rich final will go postward next Saturday evening, and here's how the field will line up behind the starting gate:
$247,000 Goodtimes Stake
1. Only For Justice
2. Swandre The Giant
3. Pilot Discretion
4. Forbidden Trade
5. Super Schissel
6. Smart As Hill
7. Dream Nation
8. Southwind Avenger
9. Jumpshot
10. Knight Angel
(With quotes from Woodbine Mohawk Park)
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.