Twelve of the sport’s most gifted, pacing mares – and one very talented filly – competed in a ferocious manner in Friday’s elimination round of the Milton Stake at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Tequila Monday was a front-stepping winner in her $35,000 elimination for the tandem of driver Louis Philippe Roy and trainer Chris Oakes.
Roy hustled Tequila Monday to the lead from Post 5 and together they whacked out fractions of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:24. The sprint was on in the final quarter, however, and Tequila Monday had just enough to fend off pocket-sitter Pure Country. A mere nose separated the pair of them when the teletimer stopped in 1:50.1. Rounding out the top five finishers were Twinkle, Nike Franco N and Frost Damage Blues.
“Even after the wire I was a little disappointed because I thought Yannick (Gingras) beat me by a nose and even he thought he won too,” said Roy following the victory. “She got easy fractions and we were both sprinting at the end. I think both mares will be good for next week because they didn’t have to be used much in the first-half.”
The four-year-old daughter of American Ideal-Margarita Monday improved her 2018 record to 5-3-2 from 15 starts with the win. Northfork Racing Stable and Chuck Pompey share ownership on the 17-time winner who upped her lifetime earnings to $771,922 with the victory.
Caviart Ally blew away the foes she faced in the second elimination winning in a career-best clocking of 1:48.3 for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Noel Daley.
McCarthy pointed her to the lead from Post 5 and the mare tore through panels of :27.2, :55 and 1:21.4 before kicking home in :26.4 to win by 4-3/4 lengths over runner-up Bettors Up. Rounding out the top five finishers were Ella Christina, L A Delight and Kendall Seelster.
“Extremely easy, it was surprising,” said McCarthy of Caviart Ally’s performance. “I was watching the half come up in :55 and I was hoping it was going to be a tick or two slower.
“In the last turn she started to rev up and I couldn’t really get her down there any slower than 1:21.4. Even finishing up, still had the bits up in her mouth. It was a huge mile, but she did it so easy.”
The four-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight-Allamerican Cool now boasts a 5-2-1 record from 15 trips postward this season. The 14-time winner is closing in on $1 million in career earnings for Caviart Farms of Vienne, VA.
Following the eliminations the post positions were drawn for next Saturday’s final. Here’s how they’ll line up:
$255,000 Milton Stake Final
1. Twinkle
2. Tequila Monday
3. Nike Franco N
4. LA Delight
5. Caviart Ally
6. Bettors Up
7. Frost Damage Blues
8. Ella Christina
9. Kendall Seelster
10. Pure Country
AE: Artistic Madison
(With quotes from Woodbine Mohawk Park)
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.