Odds-on choice Abuckabett Hanover crushed his competition when winning the second of two divisions for the $187,518 Champlain Colt Pace on Saturday (Sept. 12) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, missing the stakes record by a fifth of a second.
Driver Andrew McCarthy positioned Abuckabett Hanover third to a :27 opening quarter before launching the Betting Line colt to the front before a :55.4 half. Twin B Fighter raced from the pocket into the final turn as Highlandbeachsbest advanced first over tracked by Candy Trader. By three-quarters in 1:24.2, Abuckabett Hanover hurried away and opened seven lengths on Candy Trader, who snagged second from Twin B Fighter, in a 1:50.3 mile.
“They got out of there pretty good,” McCarthy said after the race. “I’ve driven this horse a lot and I think he’s got a hell of a lot of ability. I thought I’d just move him back to the front and cruise along. I got him to slow down a little bit in the third quarter, chirped to him and off he went.
“I think he’s growing up,” McCarthy also said. “His gait’s definitely getting better; it’s getting stronger, and I think he’s getting a little smarter each race. He could’ve went a little faster tonight. I actually think this colt’s got the tools to go a long way and try to save the really big miles for the really big races.”
Owned by Barbera Stable, Jablonsky Held Stable, Joe Deguara and Alagna and Inthegym, Abuckabett Hanover won his third race from five starts, earning $145,234. Tony Alagna trains the $2.80 winner.
Anthony Beaton trainee Twin B Eagle—making breaks in both his starts in Ontario Sires Stakes—scored a victory in his Grand Circuit bow with a wire-to-wire win in the first division of the Champlain Stakes.
Twin B Eagle took command from the outermost post in the sextet, leading Major Bean to a :27.2 first quarter. Twin B Edge pulled first over into the backside but made a slight break in stride, recovering by three-eighths and slowly progressing towards the pacesetter by a :56.2 half.
Rounding the final turn Twin B Eagle maintained a length lead as Twin B Edge parked coming to three-quarters in 1:24.3. Driver Sylvain Filion let Twin B Eagle loose into the stretch and scooted clear as Major Bean gave chase from the pocket with Controlled Heaven closing at the inside and Pirate Hanover down the center. Twin B Eagle stopped the clock in 1:51.2 to win by two lengths over Controlled Heaven, Pirate Hanover and Major Bean.
“He’s got an absolute high turn of foot and speed there,” Anthony Beaton said after the race. “The [OSS] Gold divisions we had the rail… the rail’s nice, but it just didn’t seem to suit him that much. Finally I was hoping for an outside or mid post and we got it, and he showed up tonight.”
A gelding by Sportswriter, Twin B Eagle won his third race from six starts, earning $61,016 for owners Wayne Mac Rae and Daniel Ross. The $6.90 winner will make his next start in an OSS Gold division at Flamboro Downs to try and qualify for the Super Final at the end of October.
Scarlett Hanover sizzled in the first division of the $173,328 Champlain Filly Pace, scoring by four-and-a-half lengths in 1:51.3.
Andra Day held the lead by a :27.2 first quarter before stablemate Lady Arthur swept by and raced to center of the track while leading the field to a :56 half. Lady Arthur edged back to the pegs into the final turn and started to shorten stride as Scarlett Hanover rolled uncovered to the lead past three-quarters in 1:24.2. Through the stretch the Bettors Delight filly widened her lead chased by Twin B Sunkissed, who held off Voelz Delight to take second.
“She was really good tonight,” trainer Ashleigh Hensley said after the race. “She raced really well last week so we were expecting big things tonight.”
Competing for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Frank Baldachino, J And T Silva Purnel And Libby and Weaver Bruscemi, Scarlett Hanover won her fourth race from eight starts, earning $205,390. Yannick Gingras drove the $3.10 winner.
Caviart Audrey cruised first over to the lead and held firm to the finish of a 1:53 mile to take the other division of the Champlain Filly Pace.
Adashious Hanover led pocket-sitter Alumni Seelster through fractions of :26.4 and :56.1 before facing a challenge from 1-9 favourite Caviart Audrey into the final turn. The Nancy Takter trainee ranged towards the lead by three-quarters in 1:24.4 tracked by City By The Bay and slid to a one-and-a-half length lead in the stretch. Alumni Seelster slid through traffic to take second from City By The Bay in third.
“The plan was [that] I wanted to race her off a helmet,” driver Yannick Gingras said after the race. “She’s been on the front many weeks -- I thought she was the best in here, so I figured I could race her from the back and still reach. I wouldn’t say she was 100 per cent—I think she’s better than what she showed tonight, but that’s what great horses do; they find ways to win anyway. I’m happy that she won for sure, but like I said I think she’s a better horse than she showed tonight.”
A filly by Somebeachsomewhere, Caviart Audrey won her third race from four starts, earning $109,237. Caviart Farms owns the $2.10 winner.
The Champlain Stakes were one of the handful of major stakes events on the Saturday card at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Recaps from the other races are available at the following links:
To view the results from Saturday's card of harness racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.