Two-year-old trotting fillies sparred in a set of Champlain Stakes divisions Thursday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and driver Dexter Dunn proved to have the magic touch.
He captured the $98,299 opening division with Panem, who moved to the front after the quarter pole and once she cleared it was game over for the others.
Jula Shes Magic fired to the early lead and had eight foes chasing her past the first marker in :28.1, but Panem brushed to the front in the backstretch and proceeded to chop out the middle splits of :57.4 and 1:26.3. She then used a :29.1 closing quarter to win by 1-1/2 lengths over race favourite She Rocks Kemp in 1:55.4. Heat Wave Hanover rallied to finish third.
“She’s not the easiest to drive, but if you talk to her nicely and just let do her thing, she can punch out a good mile,” said Dunn about Panem. “She was getting a little bit lost on the front…so I just gave her a chirp and got her going. She’s still learning, but the ability is there and she’s got a nice future.”
It was the first lifetime win for the homebred daughter of Father Patrick-Katniss, who is owned by Diamond Creek Racing of Wellsville, PA. Nancy Johansson trains the youngster who lifted her bankroll to $62,207 with the victory.
Dunn was back to victory lane in the $97,298 second division with Spoiled Princess, who gave the previously undefeated Whose Blues her first taste of defeat.
Sheer Energy marched to the early lead and had eight foes tracking her past the quarter pole in :28. Whose Blues popped out of the pocket in the backstretch and shot to the top, only to give way to a headstrong She Must Be Magic at the half in :56.4. She Must Be Magic went on to the lead the group to the three-quarter pole in 1:25.4 before being overtaken by Whose Blues. Whose Blues was confronted late by Spoiled Princess, who used a :29-second closing quarter to post the win by 1-1/2 lengths over Whose Blues in 1:55.2. Sheer Energy was a well-beaten third.
Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman trains the homebred daughter of Trixton-Fashion Spooner for partners Robert McNerny of New Jersey and Hauser Bros Rcng Ent LLC of New York.
“To have a homebred and win this is fantastic,” said McNerney. “We went easy with this horse from the beginning and didn’t want to race a lot, we want to take our time and it’s paid off.”
The victory improved her rookie record to 3-0-1 from six starts. The lion’s share of the loot lifted her cash stash to $89,649.
(With quotes from Woodbine Mohawk Park)
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.