The next big test for some of the hottest Ontario-sired sophomores is just around the corner with the fields drawn for the Canadian Breeders Championships elimination round this weekend at Mohawk Racetrack.
Eliminations for the trotting divisions will be held on Friday with Prestidigitator headlining the single $68,168 field for the colts. The Kadabra-Shesa Priority colt, who won last year's Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final and enters the CBC eliminations off a career-best 1:54 victory in the Gold Final during Georgian Downs's annual Gold Rush card on July 7, will have to overcome the outside post 10 this time out. Regular reinsman Sylvain Filion will be back in the sulky for trainer R. Dustin Jones and Montreal owner Ecurie Synergie. The top seven finishers will advance to next weekend's final joining Cold Certified, Il Mago and Knows Nothing, who all received byes.
Miss Paris, another Super Final and Gold Rush winner, will be back in action in the $35,651 eliminations for the filly trot division with Rick Zeron in the bike for trainer Richard 'Nifty' Norman and owners Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, Ont, and Floridians Herb Liverman and David McDuffee. The Kadabra-Pizza Dolce miss, who turned in a 1:54.2 track and Canadian record equalling performance in her Gold Final last weekend, drew post nine in her elimination. Runner-ups Sugar Wheeler (PP8, Paul MacDonell) and Circles (PP3, Luc Ouellette) will start to her inside.
In the other filly trot elimination, SBOA Stakes champion Im On Cloud Nine (PP4, Jack Moiseyev) will face Casual Breeze winner Smarty Pants (PP7, Sylvain Filion) and the runner-up in both those stakes Lovely Vacation (PP5, Randy Waples). Daylon Miracle (PP10, Dave Wall), the half-sister to 2011 CBC trotting colt champion Daylon Magician, will be looking to capture her own trophy this year.
Only one $63,660 elimination is required for the filly pacers on Saturday. Fresh off a track record equalling victory in the Kin Pace at Clinton Raceway, Corey Johnson trainee Memumsnotnice will have to overcome the outside post 10 to make the final. Sylvain Filion is listed to drive the Jeremes Jet-Bunny Town miss for owners Colin Johnson of Le Gardeur, Que., Claude Baril of Mascouche, Que., Gilles Caouette of Garson, Ont., and Fred Brayford of Alliston, Ont. Fellow Kin Pace elimination winner Jet Speed (PP8, Jason Brewer) and Gold Final runner-up Class Of O Nine (PP2, Steve Condren) are among her rivals. The top seven finishers will join Gold Final champion Cooking The Books, SBOA Stakes winner Jet Wash and Hope For Paddy in the final.
With only 10 pacing colts entered in their division, no eliminations will be necessary. The field includes Hard To Mach, I Found My Beach, In Commando, Lucky Jet, Machapelo, Michaels Power, Secretsoftheknight, Thunder Steeler, Warrawee Needy, and Winbak Warrior.
All four Canadian Breeders Championship finals, worth an estimated $170,000, will be contested on Saturday, July 21.
To view program pages for this weekend's cards of harness racing courtesy of TrackIT, click the following links:
Friday Mohawk Program
Saturday Mohawk Program