The stakes action was abundant on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack as multiple divisions of the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old pacers and Champlain Stakes for the freshmen were contested, along with the eliminations for next week's $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic
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This year’s Pepsi North America Cup winner, Up The Credit, delivered in his $117,644 division of the Simcoe Stakes.
Roll On (Randy Waples) took the glamour boys to the quarter pole in :26, but as they entered the backstretch, driver Jody Jamieson came first-up from third with Up The Credit to take the lead, cutting the half in :54.3. The duo held the lead, hitting the three-quarter mark in 1:21.4.
Sent off as the 1-2 favourite, the Carl Jamieson trainee opened up a six length lead as he crossed the wire, stopping the clock in 1:49.1. Bullet Speed (Brian Sears) finished second and Mystician (Rick Zeron) was third.
After making a costly break in the $532,500 Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs on August 14, Jamieson admits he is not worried about that error and Up The Credit will start in the Little Brown Jug.
“Racing him on a half-mile track is not an issue, he ran [broke stride] up the backside,” said the winning driver. “He ran going straight, not on a turn. Right now, his attitude is great and he’s healthy. We’re just keeping our fingers crossed for the ‘Jug.’”
Jamieson gives much credit to his father, Carl, who conditions the colt.
“My dad and I have had some good horses and had good horses together,” he said. “I don’t think he’s had a horse that went over a million dollars in a single season until now, so it’s a big thrill and hopefully we can keep it going.”
The son of Western Terror-Cantbuymehappiness is one of harness racing’s newest millionaires, boating $1,051,212 in lifetime earnings for Carl, Thomas Kyron of Toronto, Joanne Morrison of Beeton, Ont., and Brian Paquet of Quebec City.
The win was Up The Credit’s seventh of the season in 13 starts and ninth lifetime. The brown colt paid $3.10 to win.
In the first $115,643 division, the Ben Baillargeon-trained Odysseus Bluechip equalled his lifetime-best mark of 1:51.3.
Line Officer (Scott Zeron) cut the opening panel in :27.2 before driver Mario Baillargeon and Odysseus Bluechip launched a first-over attack from third to take command before the half in :56.2.
As the sophomore pacers entered the final turn, Machal Jackson (J.R. Plante) came first-up and attempted to take the lead, but could not pass the 7-5 favourite as they hit the three quarter pole in 1:24.1. Odysseus Bluechip dug in to score the victory by a neck over a hard-closing American Arena (Ron Pierce). Westwardho Hanover (Dave Miller) got up for third.
“I really didn’t want to race in front,” admitted the winning gelding's driver. “Scott [Zeron with Line Officer] got in front and he tapped the breaks on. I was in the three-hole so I thought I’d come back and control the race. He raced pretty good.
“He is better on a helmet. He is a notch below the top ones, but he is going to be a nice horse down the road.”
The win was Odysseus Bluechip’s fourth of the season in 11 starts and fifth lifetime, which pushes his career earnings to $143,471. The gelded son of Cams Card Shark-Chutney Hanover is owned by Richard Berthiaume of Pointe-Aux-Trembles, Que.
The bay paid $4.90 to win.
Two Champlain divisions for two-year-old colt pacers and a lone division for two-year-old filly pacers were also contested Saturday, with the fillies putting up a big mile to set a new stakes record.
In the single $239,801 filly division, Big Mcdeal pulled off a 29-1 upset while lowering the stakes record with a 1:51.2 performance. Owned and trained by Jack Darling of Cambridge, Ont., the freshman filly also notched her first lifetime win.
With Paul MacDonell in the sulky, the bay won in gate-to-wire fashion, cutting the mile with splits of :26.1, :55.2 and 1:23.1.
Beaten by half a length, Shelliscape (Randy Waples) got up for second and 2-5 favourite Pirouette Hanover (Ron Pierce) was third.
The daughter of Mcardle-Ideal Gal has one win, two seconds and two third-place finishes in seven lifetime starts, boasting $222,238 in career earnings.
Big Mcdeal paid $61.80 to win as the upsetter.
In the first $150,506 division for the colt pacers, Machapelo beat out nine other rivals, from the trailing Post 11, to capture the lion’s share of the purse for trainer Michael Keeling.
Allstar Legend (Andy Miller) held the lead through splits of :26.2, :55, and 1:23.1.
But driver Jody Jamieson utilized a second-over trip to find the winner’s circle, stopping the teletimer in a new mark of 1:51.3. In Commando (Randy Waples) finished second by a neck with Rockin Finish (Chris Christoforou) rounding out the triactor.
The son of Mach Three-Capelo Rose has two wins, four seconds and one third-place finish in 10 lifetime starts, boasting $323,843 in career earnings for New York's Enviro Stables Ltd.
Machapelo paid $7.30 to win as the second choice.
Speed Again captured the second $148,506 division for trainer Jeff Gillis and sent driver Jody Jamieson back to the winner's circle.
Jamieson used first-over tactics as Hurrikane Kingcole (Luc Ouellette) laid down fractions of :26.2 and :54.4 before Speed Again took over command at three-quarters in 1:23.2.
The pair never looked back, scoring a one and three-quarter length victory in 1:50.3, matching his Canadian and track record for two-year-old geldings. I Found My Beach (Randy Waples) exploded from the backfield to finish second with Gable Blue Chip (Ron Pierce) third.
The son of Dragon Again-Sand Speed has five wins, two seconds and one third-place finish in eight lifetime starts with $306,449 in career earnings for Gillis, who also owns a share of the gelding with New York's Gerald Stay, Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont., and Ken Henwood of Mississauga, Ont.
Speed Again paid $3.70 to win.
Daylon Magician and Manofmanymissions found the winner's circle in a pair of $40,000 Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations to lead the way to next week’s $1 million final.
In the first elimination, only two and three-quarter lengths separated the entire seven-horse field at the wire, but it was the odds-on favourite, Daylon Magician and driver Jack Moiseyev, who crossed the line first.
Daylon Magician, fresh off a world record equalling performance for three-year-old trotters in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final at Flamboro Downs, earned his eighth win this season for trainer, owner and breeder David Lemon of Komoka, Ont. as he stopped the clock in 1:53.3.
VC Chocoholic (Brian Sears) was the quickest off the gate from Post 7 and established command past the first quarter in :27.2. Luckycharm Hanover (Dave Miller) was in the pocket with this year’s Hambletonian winner, Broad Bahn (George Brennan), in third.
The field remained the same past the midway point in :57.
Broad Bahn began the first over attack around the final turn with Daylon Magician tracking him. Blue Porsche (Jody Jamieson) was also well positioned third over with Whatever It Takes (Andy Miller) saving ground in sixth.
As VC Chocoholic passed three-quarters in 1:25 the entire backfield was closing in.
In deep stretch, the tempo-setter began to tire as Daylon Magician was able to score the victory by a neck over Broad Bahn with 70-1 longshot Sim Brown (Randy Waples) finishing third, beaten just a half length. Also advancing to the rich final is Whatever It Takes, who finished fourth, and the fifth place finisher Blue Porsche.
“He’s just a nice horse, he can race with anybody. If he gets the right trip he could get beat or he could beat them,” said Moiseyev following the victory.
Turning for home, Moiseyev believed he was in a perfect spot to find the winner's circle.
“I was well-positioned, second over at the head of the stretch,” he said. “There was a bunch of good horses scattered across the track, but I thought my horse would finish a little better, but he did have three-weeks off.
“He needed the time off and I agree with why Dave [trainer David Lemon] did that, because he had some tough racing and he’s got a lot more to come.”
Daylon Magician, a son of Kadabra-Daylon Marvel, now boasts career earnings of $550,777. His connections have selected Post 2 for the final.
In the second elimination, Dave Miller guided Manofmanymissions to a 1:54 score.
The son of Yankee Glide-Armbro Vanquish was in no hurry in the beginning as Whiskey Tax (Randy Waples) quickly established command and led the way past the opening panel in :27.3. Highland Thunder (Chris Christoforou) was sitting second with Chapter Seven (Mike Lachance) in third.
Manofmanymissions couldn’t find a seat along the rail so Miller sent the 1-2 favourite to the front from the backfield and passed the half in :57.
Chapter Seven began the first-over attack from fourth as Manofmanymissions marched past three-quarters in 1:25.2.
In deep stretch, the battle was for second as Manofmanymissions was on a comfortable hand drive to win by one and three quarter lengths. Dejarmbro (Brian Sears) exploded from the backfield to finish second over Whiskey Tax. Imperial Count (Scott Zeron) and Chapter Seven finished fourth and fifth, respectively, to advance to the final.
Fresh off winning the $500,000 Colonial Trot, Miller assured that race set Manofmanymissions up well for this event.
“He raced very well that day at Chester,” Miller said. “He came first-over and put away Broad Bahn and Pastor Stephen and he just raced tremendous.”
After being unable to find a hole in the early going, Miller said he had no choice but to brush his charge to command.
“I tried to float him off the gate and try and get a seat, but that didn’t work out,” he said. “When everything settled, I put him on the lead and he had no issues getting there. My horse is very game and very willing; he just wants to do it.”
Manofmanymissions, a six-time winner from eight starts this year, lifted his lifetime earnings to $924,900 for trainer Erv Miller and owners Manofmanymissions Stable, Mystical Marker Farms LLC and Biasuzzi Stable.
He paid $4.80 for the win.
The $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic final will line up as follows on September 17:
1. Whiskey Tax
2. Daylon Magician
3. Manofmanymissions
4. Broad Bahn
5. Dejarmbro
6. Sim Brown
7. Whatever It Takes
8. Blue Porsche
9. Chapter Seven
10. Imperial Count
AE. VC Chocoholic
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from WEG)