Split The House stepped in fresh to the second leg of the Summertime Series Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack and delivered a 1:51 winning performance.
A field of eight three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, including leg one winner Rockin In Heaven, contested the $18,000 second round of the three-week Summertime Series.
The James ‘Friday’ Dean trainee Split The House, who skipped round one, was making his first start since a fourth-place finish in the $75,000 Pepsi North America Cup Consolation. The son of Rocknroll Hanover came into Saturday night with four wins from six career starts and the public sent him off as the even-money choice.
Rockin In Heaven, who won last week’s first leg on the front end, sprinted off the gate to the front for driver Trevor Henry. However, Split The House and driver Randy Waples rejected a spot along the pylons in fifth and drove on in the second quarter to overtake the lead from the round one winner. After panels of :56 and 1:24.2, Split The House kicked it into sprint mode for the stretch drive and paced home in :26.3 to hold off Rockin In Heaven by a length. A hard-closing Poisonous and Sylvain Filion finished third.
Owned by Dean, Scott Horner, Peter Milligan, Split The House increased his career earnings to $52,000 with his fifth career victory Saturday night. The sophomore pacing colt paid $4.20 to win.
Split The House and Rockin In Heaven will likely meet in a rematch in next Saturday’s (July 11) $50,400 Summertime Final. The $48,600 Town Pro Final will also be contested next Saturday.
Saturday night's co-featured Preferreds were won by popular Somebeachsomewhere offspring. Shamballa, the 6-5 public's choice, and trainer/driver Rick Zeron took the lead at the half-mile mark and held off a late surge from Evenin Of Pleasure to win by a neck in 1:49.2, with Winds Of Change over two lengths behind in third. Owned by Tao Racing and the Rick Zeron Stables, the five-year-old gelding earned his fourth win in seven starts this year.
Coming off a third-place finish in the Roses Are Red Stakes, 2-5 favourite Sandbetweenurtoes went wire-to-wire in 1:50.4 with Sylvain Filion catch-driving for trainer Richard Moreau and owner Brad Grant. Marlee B came on for second over pocket-sitter Precocious Beauty.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from WEG)