Call Me Goo and Climb The Pole each picked up their first Grand Circuit victories in Friday’s Casual Breeze Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Launching a Grand Circuit weekend at the Campbellville, Ont. oval, the Casual Breeze Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies featured a pair of $75,000 divisions.
Maryland invader Call Me Goo turned heads in her first “road game,” powering by heavy favourite Righteous Resolve to win the first division in 1:52.2.
Righteous Resolve got to the call shots in the field of six, posting clips of :27.2, :56.4 and 1:25. Call Me Goo followed along third before moving to the outside halfway around the far turn for driver Sylvain Filion.
Call Me Goo came charging up after Righteous Resolve at three-quarters and just kept on rocking, pulling away for a 2-3/4-length victory. Righteous Resolve held second over Baroness Hill, while Tactical Planner recovered from an early break to finish fourth.
A daughter of Googoo Gaagaa, Call Me Goo has dominated the Maryland Sires Stakes, winning seven of eight starts this season prior to Friday. Shipping up to trainer Dr. Ian Moore from the barn of Jason Skinner, Call Me Goo is now an 11-time winner for her career with more than $235,000 earned for owners Graham Grace Stables LLC.
“We’ve had her for about 12 days,” said Dr. Moore. “As soon as we jogged her on the track, she showed a lot of class. [Call Me Good] never really extended down there because she never had to be extended and it looked like tonight hopefully that was the case here too. We’re looking forward to her next race.”
Call Me Goo, who paid $12.30 to win, is eligible to September’s Elegantimage Stakes.
Multiple Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner Climb The Pole scored her third consecutive victory, and first on the Grand Circuit, with a 1:53.4 win in the $75,000 second division for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Carl Jamieson.
The daughter of Kadabra sat fourth throughout the opening three-quarters of the mile, but was in a striking spot just four lengths off the lead turning for home. In the stretch, Climb The Pole muscled on by the top three to win by a length and a quarter.
"She behaved terribly tonight in the warm up," said Jody Jamieson. "She just wanted to go a thousand miles an hour...and she didn't settle in good around the first turn. She did finally settle in going to the half, but I didn't think I had a whole lot of horse when I moved her over, but she dug in and showed her class."
HP Extra Ice finished second, while Mass Hysteria was third and Silly Me Hanover fourth. Warrawee Yes, who set middle-half fractions of :56.3 and 1:25.1, finished fifth.
Climb The Pole has now won three of four starts since joining the Jamieson barn. The three-year-old filly improves to six-for-nine this season after going winless in two starts last season, while her career earnings jump to more than $210,000 with Friday’s win. She’s owned by Jody Jamieson, Carl Jamieson, Steve Heimbecker and Aaron Byron.
A $2 win ticket on Climb The Pole returned $8.60.
She is also eligible to the upcoming Simcoe and Elegantimage Stakes.
Grand Circuit action continues on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The William Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful Way finals take the spotlight, while divisions of the Nassagaweya, Eternal Camnation and eliminations for the Canadian Pacing Derby will also be held. Post time is 7:10 p.m.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Woodbine)