A pair of $150,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Mid-Season Finals for rookie trotters highlighted the Monday (Aug. 5) card at Mohawk, seeing Monalishi (pictured) deliver as favourite in the trotting filly division while You Got It Kemp pulled the mild 7-1 upset in the trotting colts.
With regular pilot Jody Jamieson aboard, Monalishi left from post two in the full field of 10 as the 7-5 bettor's choice. Monalishi got away midpack early, settling in fifth on the opening turn while Medley Seelster (driven by Bob McClure) crossed over from post 10 to lead to the quarter in :27.2. The lead changed hands multiple times on the backstretch, with Trevor Henry putting 65-1 shot The Green Book on top from third before being covered up by Foxy Amee (Paul MacDonell) at the half in :57. Jamieson gave Monalishi her cue on the final turn, brushing first-up to grab a short lead on the outside of Foxy Amee at three-quarters in 1:25.3 as the lead duo separated from the field.
Monalishi carried the momentum off the turn to trot clear to a three length lead midway down the lane with Fox Amee trying to counter from second. From there, Monalishi coasted home a winner to cross the line 1-1/4 lengths clear of Foxy Amee in a career best 1:54.2. Medley Seelster held for third to round out the trifecta.
"She's very willing, she wants to do it," said driver Jody Jamieson, "I got her scored down a little bit and she was just waiting for me to call on her and I did. I had to call on her pretty good. I raced her tough tonight and she responded, I was pretty proud of her."
After a miscue in her career debut in the Tompkins-Geers, the Blake Macintosh trainee has won each of her following three starts all in Ontario Sires Stakes Gold competition. The daughter of Green Manalishi S-Pretty Phylly G was bred by Shmuel Farhi and has now banked $170,000 for owners Blake Macintosh and Tim Klemencic.
You Got It Kemp teamed up with driver Sylvain Filion to score from off cover to upset in the freshman male final. Much like the trotting fillies, Filion landed the eventual winner in fifth early from post four while Lookatmegoamigo (Louis-Philippe Roy) made quick work of post 10 to reach the quarter first in :28.1. Chicago Hall (James MacDonald) passed on the pocket trip to take command on the backstretch before Doug McNair moved the 3-5 favourite, Galen Erso, to the lead before reaching the half in :58.1. Filion flushed the cover of Rising Interest (Tyler Borth) who led the charge first-over into third on the final turn while Galen Erso led to three-quarters in 1:27.1.
Filion tipped You Got It Kemp off of cover at the top of the lane with sights set on Galen Erso who was now under pressure from Chicago Hall who popped the pocket once more. You Got It Kemp got in gear in deep stretch with a :27.2 final quarter to nail Galen Erso by a half-length on the wire in 1:55.1. Chicago Hall finished third.
"When I tipped him off cover he went forward, but I didn't know if I had enough track left to get there," said Filion. "Obviously he did so I was really pleased with him. I think he raced super tonight. Even last week, the way he did it, we got out real late and he sprinted home like a machine. I was pretty pleased with him and pretty confident in tonight too."
A winner now in two of three in his young career, You Got It Kemp is trained by Daniel Lagace. A gelded son of Muscle Mass-Speed Titan, You Got It Kemp was bred by Kemppi Stables Oy and Suojalampi Stable. Suojalampi Stable co-owns the earner of $110,667 along with Brady, Brooke and Daniel Lagace.
The 10-race card kicked off with Shutter Green (Todd Ratchford) securing a front-end 1:57.2 victory in the $40,000 OSS Gold Mid-Season Consolation for trainer Mark Etsell. The victory was the first in three starts for the son of Green Manalishi S-Perfect Summer K who is owned by Etsell along with Grant Turner, Peter Porter and Graham Hopkins.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)