If you like trotters, then Mohawk Racetrack truly was the place to be on Monday evening. The oval hosted a 12-race program, with nine of those dashes for square gaiters.
Five of those dashes were OSS Grassroots divisions, two of them were divisions of the second leg of the Pure Ivory Series and the other two were overnight events.
Railee Priti notched her first win of the season thanks to her 1:57.4 score in the first OSS division. Steve Byron rallied the daughter of Muscle Mass-Railee Beautiful to the win in the $18,000 over Mass Rail and race favourite Sumthintotalkabout.
John Bax trains the three-time winner for owner/breeder Ron Mersky of Paris, KY. The $9,000 payday bumped her overall bankroll to $58,600.
Judy The Beauty found her way to victory lane for the third time this year thanks to her off-the-speed score in the second division. James MacDonald rallied the sophomore to the win in 1:57.3 over race favourite Market Strike, who threw down panels of :27, :56.2 and 1:26.4 before tiring. Hope Rises took home the show dough.
Keith Jones trains the daughter of Muscle Mass-Northern Goddess for owner Randy Zhok of Dover Centre, ON. She owns a 3-2-3 record from 13 trips to the track this season. She’s banked more than $40,000 this year and $71,920 to date.
Roses In The Rain broke her maiden in the third division, and she blew up the toteboard in the process for driver Sylvain Filion. Winless in her first nine attempts, the filly got away fourth and remained there through first-half fractions of :27.3 and :58.2 which were supplied by Ladyone. She was still in charge at the three-quarter pole in 1:28, but Magic Babe came first-over with Roses In The Rain riding that ‘live’ cover. Roses In The Rain fired home in :298.2 to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Tymal Signature in 1:58.1. Magic Babe was third.
Sent off at odds of 38-1, Roses In The Rain lifted her lifetime earnings to $10,940 for owner/breeder Rod Allen Inc of Ocala, FL. The upsetter hangs her harness bag in the barn of trainer Shane Arsenault.
Renegade Magic earned a new lifetime mark of 1:55.4 in her debut with trotting hopples in the fourth OSS Grassroots division. The homebred followed cover around the final turn before drawing off to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Sheguindah. Race favourite Meadow Seelster chopped out fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:25.4 before fading in the lane and finishing third.
Ted MacDonnell trains the daughter of Kadabra-Renegade Ruby for Jeff and Lori Thomson of Chesley, ON. Unraced as a rookie but now 4-for-8 this season, the career winner of $34,600 is 3-for-3 in OSS assignments.
Pointe Of Inquiry pulled off a 5-1 upset in the final division for trainer/driver Wayne Henry, who wheeled his charge three-wide coming out of the final turn before drawing clear to win by 2-1/2 lengths over World Class Izzy in 1:57.1. Stormont Contessa came on late to round out the Triactor ticket in the $18,000 affair.
Henry Stable of Arthur, ON owns the filly, who failed to make it to the races as a freshman. She’s made up for lost time this season, however, as noted by the 5-5-2 record she’s compiled in 20 starts. She’s banked more than $37,000 along the way.
Monday’s card also featured the second leg of the Pure Ivory Series, with a set of $12,000 divisions on tap for two-year-old trotting fillies.
Safekeeping was a front-stepping winner in her pari-mutuel debut for trainer Charalambos Christoforou. The daughter of Muscle Hill-Severence shot to the front from Post 6 for driver Jack Moiseyev and strolled through tepid panels of :31.1, 1:03.1 and 1:33 before rocketing home in a :29-second clip to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Hills Angel in 2:02. Crazy Wild Desire came home strong to finish a fast-closing third.
The homebred, who was sent off as the 7-5 second choice in the wagering, is owned by Christoforou and Banjo Farms of Toronto, ON.
Pennies From Above was an overwhelming favourite in the second division, and she didn’t let down the army of backers that made her the 3-5 favourite. Pennies From Above got away third for trainer/driver Dustin Jones, who watched Sound Of Music and Thisladysdynamite take turns on the lead through fractions of :29.3, 1:01.2 and 1:32.3. Pennies From Above commenced her first-over bid around the final turn, and she used a :28-second closing quarter to win by three-quarters of a length over Thisladysdynamite in 2:01.1. Sound Of Music tagged along to finish third.
Jean Pierre Barjon of Vanves, France owns the daughter of Cantab Hall-Quick Credit. The full-sister to O’Brien Award winner Wheeling N Dealin (1:54.2 - $894,574) was a $120,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.