Driver James MacDonald and trainer Anthony Beaton combined for one of their many wins on Friday, Aug. 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park with two-year-old pacing filly Au Jus Hanover spoiling the favourite's chances at a series sweep of the Whenuwishuponastar.
In the $68,000 series final carded as the second race of the evening, MacDonald and Au Jus Hanover looped early longshot leader Spoiled Beauty (Doug McNair) down the backstretch after a :27.2 opening quarter and hit the half in :55.1. As Au Jus Hanover continued to lead the field of five freshman fillies to three-quarters in 1:23.4, the undefeated 1-9 favourite Cant See Me (Bob McClure) went on the attack from third but couldn't catch the Beaton trainee, who won by three-quarters of a length in 1:53 flat. Charlotte Station (Louis-Philippe Roy) closed well off cover for third.
Au Jus Hanover won at first asking on June 29 before hitting the board in the opening legs of the series. Going for her second career victory in the final, she was sent off as the 9-2 second choice and returned $11.40 to win.
The Stay Hungry-Always True filly was a $50,000 yearling purchase from last year's Standardbred Horse Sale for owners Casie Coleman of Wellington, Florida, Dumain Haven Farm of Pine Bush, New York, Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont., and Kevin McKinlay of Holland Landing, Ont.
The win was the first of five on Friday's 10-race card for MacDonald and one of three for Beaton. They also teamed up in the very next race with the career-debuting Sweet Lou filly Nice Buns ($3.50) winning in 1:54.2. Beaton completed a training triple with the McWicked colt McWinner ($22.90) also successful in his first start with a 1:54.4 mile in rein to Jonathan Drury. Both freshmen are owned by Coleman and Dumain Haven Farm.
MacDonald and Beaton were looking for another series success story with 1-9 favourite Lite Up The World in the Dream Maker for two-year-old pacing colts, but the first leg winner broke stride at the start of the $81,500 final.
Trainer Garry Merner sent out the top two finishers with Ayeaye Captain Deo leading the way over Nova Blu, with newly inducted Hall of Famer Sylvain Filion steering the 1:53 winner.
Ayeaye Captain Deo fronted the field of six through fractions of :27.2, :57 and 1:25.1 before sealing the deal with a :27.4 final frame, while his stablemate Nova Blu, driven by Louis-Philippe Roy, rallied into second and finished 2-3/4 lengths behind. Take Out Hanover (Doug McNair) was third off a pocket trip.
Gino Toscani of Mount Hope, Ont. owns the top two finishers.
A winner of the second leg of the series, Ayeaye Captain Deo was sent postward as the 7-2 second choice and paid $9 to win.
Ayeaye Captain Deo, who was $57,000 yearling from the Lexington Selected Sale, has earned back-to-back wins after hitting the board in his first two starts. The Grand Circuit stakes-bound colt by Captaintreacherous out of Oceania has the Nassagaweya and Metro Pace on his radar.
Merner and MacDonald combined for a 1:50.1 victory with Tyga Hanover ($2.70) in a $12,000 division of a Pop-Up Series for non-winners of $18,000 in 2024. MacDonald also drove Pop-Up starter Thrilling Times ($4.60) to a 1:52 series triumph in the first round for the Rene Bourassa stable. MacDonald made another winner's circle appearance during Friday's action with the maiden-breaking three-year-old trotting filly Seven Summers ($4.50), who was making her Canadian debut from the Matt Bax stable.
The other Pop-Up Series split was won by Brett MacDonald, who pulled off a 55-1 upset with the Mitch Tierney trainee Wall Street Bell up in time for the 1:52 victroy, rewarding his backers with a $113.10 win payout.
Friday's eighth race for Prospect Series starters was marred when the Meg Crone-trained Control The Fire broke stride and was pulled up in the stretch. Woodbine reported that the three-year-old pacing filly sustained a catastrophic injury and was humanely euthanized.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Control The Fire.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)