Your So Vain and Master Of Law, last week’s elimination winners, and Hambletonian champion Royalty for Life head the field for the prestigious $686,000 Canadian Trotting Classic for three-year-olds, Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack.
The Classic honour role includes such recent winners as champions Market Share, Muscle Hill, Donato Hanover and Deweycheatumnhowe, all of whom were Hambletonian winners as well.
Post time for the Classic, which has been carded as Race 8 in the 12-race program, is 9:45 p.m. Also on the card are the $365,000 William Wellwood Memorial Trot for two-year-old colts/geldings and the $374,000 Peaceful Way for two-year-old filly trotters.
Last week, Scott Zeron drove both elim winners, but has chosen Master Of Law for the final. Thus, Randy Waples has picked up the drive on Your So Vain. Both winners earned their connections the right to choose a post position before the balance of the field was drawn.
Master Of Law (PP3), trained by Frank Antonacci for owners Lindy Racing Stable of Connecticut, Brittany Farms of Kentucky and Adam Victor and Son Stable of New York, has now won six in a row, after making a break in his debut. He won his elim by a neck over Punxsutawney in 1:53.4.
The son of Deweycheatumnhowe-Possess The Magic had come into his elim off an impressive eight length score in a Kentucky Sires Stakes on September 1 at Lexington, hence his 3-5 post-time favouritism.
“I know how talented he is, so does Frank,” said Zeron, after the race. “But he just wanted to take his time and let him mature a little bit because he’s a little bit tough to handle in a race.
“We wanted to bring him along nice and easy, so we tripped him out his first few starts, then at Lexington we let him go to the front. He’s very tough to handle but it’s his absolute endurance (that’s his best quality). He can go all day. He likes to mow them down.”
Your So Vain (PP4), trained by Brad Maxwell for P G Van Camp Stables of Port Perry, pulled off a 9-2 upset in his elim, rallying from last to blow by the 2-5 favourite Royalty for Life near the wire and score by one and one-quarter lengths in 1:52.4.
The son of Donato Hanover-Tennis Lover has won three of seven this year and came into his elim off a dominating performance in the Simcoe Stakes.
“I’m very fortunate to pick up a very live catch drive,” said Waples. “This horse really seems to be on his game right now and coming into the race in top form. It looks like he takes a while to get involved in the race, so racing luck is going to be important. He’s got a punishing late kick, which he used in his elimination, which is also a major plus for us.”
Meanwhile, Royalty for Life (PP6, Brian Sears) may still go off favoured despite failing in his elim. The son of Rc Royalty-Bourbon N Grits, trained by George Ducharme for owners Alfred Ross and Raymond Campbell of Maine and Paul Fontaine of Rhode Island, is far and away the field’s leading money winner with over $1.2 million in career earnings.
Completing the field are Wheeling N Dealin (PP1, Sylvain Filion), Punxsutawney (PP2, Corey Callahan), Toocool Forschool (PP5, Jody Jamieson), Pine Credit (PP7, Doug McNair), Corky (PP8, David Miller), All Laid Out (PP9, Yannick Gingras) and Smilin Eli (PP10, Tim Tetrick).
The William Wellwood Memorial Trot, Race 3 on the program at 8:05 p.m., is headed by elim winners Harper Blue Chip (PP3, Sylvain Filion) and Father Patrick (PP4, Yannick Gingras).
The Peaceful Way, at 8:45 p.m. as Race 5, includes elim winners I Jasmin (PP2, Scott Zeron), Danica Hall (PP3, Trevor Ritchie) and Grammas Girl (PP4, Randy Waples), along with Riveting Rosie (PP5, Paul MacDonell) and Reflection Hanover (PP6, Jody Jamieson).
Post time for the first race is 7:25 p.m. To view the entries for Saturday night's card of harness racing at Mohawk, click one of the following links: Saturday Entries - Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).
(WEG)