Amidst Saturday’s trotting stakes finals at Mohawk Racetrack, two $50,000 Milton Stakes eliminations for aged pacing mares took place to determine the field for next weekend's final
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Trainer Mark Kesmodel almost swept the eliminations with his pupils Chancey Lady and Anndrovette, but the Pat Fletcher-trained Dreamfair Eternal got up into one of the win photos for a dead-heat.
Chancey Lady rallied home from the back of the pack to prevail in the first elimination.
Voelz Hanover (Mario Baillargeon) sprinted off the gate from Post 7 to establish command during a sizzling :25.3 opening quarter. Her lead was short-lived though as Warrawee Koine (Jody Jamieson) swept out and around from the pocket with favourite Ticket To Rock (Sylvain Filion) rolling up alongside from third. Ticket To Rock cleared the lead at the :54-second half-mile mark and remained in control to three-quarters in 1:23.
Meanwhile, On The Glass (Brian Sears) launched a first over attack from the backfield with seventh-place Chancey Lady and Tim Tetrick following her cover.
As the field rounded the final turn, Tetrick sent Chancey Lady three-wide and the former O’Brien Award winner blew by her rivals for the two and a half length victory in 1:50 flat. Blissfull Smile (Scott Zeron) came on for second over Ticket To Rock. Didrickson (Randy Waples) and Warrawee Koine completed the top five, who will advance to next week’s final.
Chancey Lady paid $8.40 to win as the 3-1 second choice. The six-year-old daughter of Camluck-Art Of Design, a winner of 32 races and over $1.7 million in lifetime earnings, is trained by Kesmodel for the Baron Racing Stable of Horsham, Pennsylvania.
Anndrovette and Dreamfair Eternal couldn’t be separated at the wire producing a dead-heat finish in the second elimination.
Outside Post 8 starter Laughandbehappy (Jody Jamieson) fired to command and put up a :26.3 opening quarter, but 6-5 favourite Anndrovette and Tetrick pulled the pocket and swept to command before the half in :54.4. She proceeded to three-quarters in 1:23.3 while driver Randy Waples sent Dreamfair Eternal first over from fifth.
Dreamfair Eternal battled head-to-head with Anndrovette down the stretch and the pair hit the wire together in 1:50.2. Laughanbehappy followed in third with Seriously (Rick Zeron) and Maureen Rocks (Scott Zeron) finishing fourth and fifth.
Millionaire Anndrovette, a four-year-old Riverboat King-Easy Miss mare fresh off a victory in the A Spring Of Hope Invitational Pace, is also trained by Kesmodel for Jeffrey Bamond of Brick, New Jersey and Joseph Davino of Clarksburg, New Jersey.
Dreamfair Eternal, a seven-year-old daughter of Camluck-J Cs Nathalie, is trained by Fletcher for owner-breeder John Lamers of Ingersoll, Ont. Canada’s reigning Horse of the Year now has 52 wins on her lifetime record and over $2.3 million in earnings.
For recaps of tonight's stakes finals including the $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic, the William Wellwood Memorial Trot and the Peaceful Way Stakes, click here.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.