It wasn’t an all-trot Monday evening at Mohawk Racetrack, but it was pretty close. The oval featured a 10-race card, with seven of those dashes designated for square gaiters.
Dream Together captured the richest race on the card – the $37,000 final of the Pure Ivory Series – for the tandem of driver Sylvain Filion and trainer Luc Blais. The heavily-favoured filly marched to the lead from Post 4 and successfully led the group through panels of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:28.2 before kicking home in :27.4 to win by 2-3/4 lengths over Pure Kemp in 1:56.1. Southwind Tesla was third.
Determination of Montreal, QC owns the two-year-old daughter of Muscle Hill-Danae, who made it a clean sweep of the event following facile wins in the first two legs of the series. Purchased for $240,000 from last year’s Lexington Select Yearling Sale, the youngster has produced a 3-0-1 record in her first four assignments while banking $34,180 in the process.
Determination, Blais and Filion also celebrated a victory with Lookslikeachpndale, who upset heavily-favoured Musical Rhythm in the $34,000 Preferred Trot. Filion hustled his charge to the lead from Post 6 and they led the group to the quarter pole in :26.4. Race favourite Musical Rhythm shot out of third when they hit the backstretch, and he cleared to the lead before hitting the half in :55.4. He was the leader at the three-quarter marker in 1:25.1, but he couldn’t fend off Lookslikeachpndale in the closing strides. Lookslikeachpndale fired home in :27.1 to win by a length over Musical Rhythm in 1:52.4. O Narutac Perfetto took home the show dough.
It was the third win of the season in nine trips to the track for the four-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Poster Pin Up. The lion’s share of the loot bumped this year’s earnings to $79,582 while his career total climbed to $206,488.
There were four OSS Grassroots divisions on tap for two-year-old trotting fillies, with each tilt carrying a purse of $18,000.
Powerful Mission overcame a challenging trip to win by a comfortable margin for driver Phil Hudon and trainer Kevin St. Charles. The filly parked past the half before fining the front in the backstretch. She led the group to the three-quarter pole in 1:28.3, and then slipped home in :29.2 to win by 4-1/2 lenghs over even-money favourite You Cant Afford Me in 1:58. Late Shift, who was first-over in the late stages of the mile, was third.
It was the second win in four tries for the career-winner of $18,700. The daughter of Manofmanymissions-The Power Of Magic is owned by E C S Racing LLC of Rockford, MI.
Stuck In My Spanks was an overwhelming favourite in the second division, but she rolled into an early break and appeared like she might be out of it. The filly was more than 23 lengths from the lead at the half, but she kept chipping away for driver Paul MacDonell who eventually fired her five-wide coming out of the last turn. The daughter of Manofmanymissions-Puta Ring On It stormed home in :28.3 to win by a half-length margin over Jilona. Third prize was earned by Hilarious Honey.
Michelle McEneny and Teresa Davidson own the two-time winner, who was purchased for a mere $3,500 from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale. She’s closing in on $20,000 in lifetime earnings.
Anikadabra blew away the foes she faced in the third division. Rick Zeron has her fourth and parked past the quarter pole in :28.4 before stepping on the accelerator and rushing to the front end. The filly cleared to the top on the way to the half, and after leading the group through middle intervals of :59 and 1:29.3 she out-kicked them home in :29.2 to win by 5-3/4 lengths over Crystal Gumdrop. Third prize was earned by Stritch.
Rob Fellows trains the homebred daughter of Kadabra-Anikawiesahalee for Edward Wilson of Seagrave, Ont. and Michael Pozefsky of Saratoga Springs, NY. Her lifetime earnings now sit at $27,840.
Magic Presto, who posted a win and a second-place finish in her first two starts versus OSS Gold Series foes, cruised to an easy triumph in the final Grassroots contest on the card. She got away fourth and held that position through first-half fractions of :29 and 1:00. Trevor Henry moved Magic Presto shortly past the half, and the son of Kadabra-In The Mean Time easily swept to the top shortly after Hab Faith hit the three-quarter pole in 1:30.1. Magic Presto uncorked a :28-second closing panel to win by 4-3/4 lengths over Royal Witch, with Northern Oath taking home third prize.
Sent off as the 1-9 favourite, the Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman student won for the second time in three starts for Mel Hartmann, Herb Liverman, David Mc Duffee and Little E LLC. Purchased for $160,000 from the 2015 Harrisburg Yearling Sale, Magic Presto has recovered $61,500 of her steep price tag.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.