Woodbine Mohawk Park hosted an action packed card on Thursday (Aug. 10) evening and the finales for the Millard Farms and Pure Ivory Series headlined the 11 races contested at the Campbellville, Ont. oval.
This edition of the Pure Ivory was the first since the talented trotter was formally inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in a ceremony that took place one night prior. The Thursday card of harness racing was also called by a newly minted Hall of Famer — Frank Salive.
Send It In Hanover honoured his role as the bettors' choice in the $75,000 Millard Farms final for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Top Mast (James MacDonald) and Struttin Yankee (Jody Jamieson) battled it out for the lead as they clocked the opening split in :28.1 while Send It In Hanover and Sylvain Filion sat fifth. Through the half in :57.1, Flight Landing (Tyler Jones) had taken over, yielding Top Mast second and Struttin Yankee third. Still fifth at the half, Filion sent Send It In Hanover on a first-over advance to the top, tacking away at his opponents and moving into second on the outside as Flight Landing took them to the three-quarters in 1:26.2. Send It In Hanover took command around the final turn and Top Mast sought a challenge in the stretch, but Send It In Hanover prevailed by a half length in 1:55.2. Finite (Chris Christoforou) rounded out the top three.
Benoit Baillargeon trains the Greenshoe-Southwind Percy gelding as he has gone four-for-four in his career thus far, collecting a sum of $65,500. A career-best performance for the freshman, Send It In Hanover is owned by Baillargeon, Frank Cirillo, Santo Vena and Nunzio Vena. He paid a $3.50 win ticket as the favourite.
Matthew Bax trainees took win and place spots for the $79,500 Pure Ivory final for two-year-old trotting fillies.
James MacDonald was in the bike of post two Stubborn Chee as they went to the gate in the field scratched down to nine. Draw The Line and Tyler Jones zoomed from post 10 to take the lead to the opening panel in :28.1. MacDonald and Stubborn Chee settled briefly into the pocket, but pulled out and around to take over the lead after the opening split. Stubborn Chee marked the half in :57.3 and three-quarters in 1:27.1 before winning by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:55.3. Todd Ratchford and stablemate to the winner, Woman Of Passion, sat third throughout the mile until they sprinted the last quarter in :27.4 to a second-place finish. Draw The Line was third.
Owned by Al J Libfeld, the freshman daughter of Muscle Hill-Stubborn Belle won her first race in three starts. Stubborn Chee paid $14.10 to win.
Freshman trotting colts and geldings lined up on the gate in four splits of the third leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots.
Ways N Means (Doug McNair) won the card opener and $22,200 OSS Grassroots, controlling the timer through panels in :28.2, :59.2 and 1:29.2. The Michael Keeling trainee took off to a 3-1/4 length victory in 1:58.2. It was the first career win in three starts for the Muscle Mass-Mariongotchocolate colt, owned by Dreamville Stable and Harbor Racing Stable LLC. Slayin Theday Away (Eddie Green) finished second with Lockdown Romeo (Matthew Bax) third.
After sitting on the outside through the first panel in :28.3, Luc Blais trainee Salem Seelster and Louis-Philippe Roy took command of the field of eight freshmen going for $22,200 in another division. Salem Seelster led through the half in :59.2 and three-quarters in 1:29 before winning by three-quarters in 1:57.3. Determination owns the Muscle Mass-Speak Of The Devil gelding, who recorded his first win in three starts. Northernchancellor (Austin Sorrie) was second with Alexander (James MacDonald) third.
Roy doubled up in OSS Grassroots driving wins, steering Lookproud through panels in :28, :58.2 and 1:28.1 from sixth at the start up to the win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:57.4. Mark MacQuarrie trains and co-owns the Lookslikeachpndale-Tiz gelding with Mary Pedden as he won his first race in two starts, banking the winner's share of the $22,200 purse. Devils Kiss (James MacDonald) took second and Stormont Happy Day (Sylvain Filion) rounded out the top three.
In the sole seven-horse field and $21,800 division, Royal Duharas led every step of the way through fractions in :29.1, :59.4 and 1:29.4 before winning by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:58.4. Loic Gueriel drove the Royalty For Life-Grace Duharas gelding in his first win for owner Haras De L Estrie Inc., and trainer Denis Gueriel. R No Mercy (Doug McNair) finished second and Stormont Cheerio (Sylvain Filion) was third.
Five $15,000 Pop Up Claiming Series classes also went to the gate on Thursday evening.
Dollydaydream ($7) was driven by his trainer, Paul Davies, to a 2-1/2 length win in 1:55. Doug McNair and Sharky ($4) won their division by three-quarters in 1:53.4 for trainer David Brown. Iceneedswhiskey ($3.70) won by a neck in 1:54.2 with Louis-Philippe Roy in the bike for trainer Isaac Waxman. James MacDonald won with Sheplaysforkeeps ($6) in 1:53.2 by a neck for trainer Raphael Bourassa. Driver Roy and trainer Waxman took one more trip to the winner's circle in the evening nightcap and completed the Pop Up Series action for the night, winning with Beef N Cheddar in 1:52.2 by 1-1/2 lengths.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.