Nineteen trotting fillies from this year’s freshman class strutted their stuff Thursday evening at Mohawk Racetrack, as the Campbellville oval hosted a pair of rich divisions of the Champlain Stakes.
Trevor Ritchie manufactured the winning trip in the first division for upset winner Zorgwijk Nova, who broke her maiden in a time of 1:56.1. The homebred daughter of Armbro Ricochet-Zorgwijk Amarillis tucked into an early four-hole while Samartina shot the top and supplied the field with an opening quarter of :28.2. That filly came under pressure in the backstretch from the heavily-favoured Shared Past, but that popular rival self-destructed and took herself out of contention.
Samartina continued to lead the field to the mid-way point in :58, but Ritchie was on the move and at the flank of the leader heading toward the final turn. Zorgwijk Nova quickly accelerated to the position of command and proceeded to open up a solid lead at the three-quarter pole in 1:26. She coasted home in :30.1 to win by 4-1/2 lengths over Faith. Orderingin was a distant third.
Sent off at odds of 18-1, the Ronnie MacLean pupil picked up the lion’s share of the $120,382 purse for MacLean and partners Murray Neilson, Happy Trails Stables and Zorgwijk Stables Ltd. The trotting lass is the younger, half-sister to a former MacLean-trained star named Zorgwijk Kingpin (1:56 - $320,460).
Bee A Magician chalked up a win for the favourite players when she swept to a 1:56.1 victory for driver Rick Zeron in the second division of the Champlain Stakes. Zeron got away seventh with the 1-5 favourite while Rockin With Dewey and Charmed Life took turns on the lead through fractions of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:27.4.
Charmed Life was still on the lead with an eighth of a mile to go, but Bee A Magician was accelerating past rivals one-by-one. A :27.2 closing quarter was good enough for Bee A Magician to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Charmed Life, with Rockin With Dewey taking home the show dough.
Trained by Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman for owners Mel Hartman, Herb Liverman and David McDuffee, the Kadabra-Beehive miss improved her freshman record to 5-1-0 in seven starts with the win. Her half of the $122,381 purse lifted her earnings to $218.691.
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.