Daylon Magician Magical In Million-Dollar CTC

Hometown favourite Daylon Magician turned in a magicial 1:53 winning performance for his connections in the $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic for three-year-old trotters on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack

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Hambletonian winner Broad Bahn (George Brennan) crossed down to the pylons from Post 4 in front of inside starters Whiskey Tax (Mario Baillargeon) and elimination winners Daylon Magician (Jack Moiseyev) and Manofmanymissions (Dave Miller) during the :27.2 opening quarter.

As the field rolled down the backstretch, Moiseyev sent Daylon Magician first up with Manofmanymissions, Dejarmbro (Brian Sears), Blue Porsche (Jody Jamieson) and Whatever It Takes (Andy Miller) following to the outside. The son of Kadabra-Daylon Marvel cleared the lead before the :57.1 half-mile mark while Broad Bahn ran into some issues and began to back through the field affecting some of the trailing horses at the rail.

Daylon Magician continued to lead the way to three-quarters in 1:25.2 and was untouchable as he turned for home and cruised to the one and three-quarter length victory in 1:53 flat. Whatever It Takes shot up the pylons for second and Dejarmbro grabbed third on the outside. Manofmanymissions made a break in the stretch but finished fourth and longshot Chapter Seven (Michel Lachance) came on for fifth.

“He’s just a great horse," said Moiseyev en route to the winner's circle. "He raced against the best horses and he proved he can go with them tonight."

When asked how confident he was in his decision to make his move at the half, Moiseyev said, “I wasn’t sure, but George’s horse must have been no good because he was pulling up at the half and I made the front easy. I got away with cheap fractions and if he gets away with cheap fractions he’s not getting beat.”

David Lemon owns, trains and bred harness racing's newest millionaire. The lion's share of the purse pushed his seasonal earnings to $825,477 and career bankroll to $1,050,777. Daylon Magician now boasts nine wins in 11 starts this year including two Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Finals, the Canadian Breeders Championship and the Goodtimes Trot Consolation.

"Right from when he was a yearling, before we even broke him, I thought he was going to be good," said Lemon.

"We bred his mother [Daylon Marvel], we had his grandmother, raced his mother and now we've got the best one yet," added the Komoka, Ont. resident, who said he did more [media] interviews this week than he has in his whole life. "He wasn't eligible [for the Breeders Crown, October 29 at Woodbine] but we said depending on how he did here, we might have to supplement him."

Daylon Magician paid $8.90 to win as the 7-2 third choice.

Trainer Noel Daley commented on Broad Bahn's lacklustre effort after the race.

"We ran some tests following the race and after a while it was confirmed that he has an irregular heart beat," he told WEG's communications department. "That's what the veterinarian said to us following the test results."

The magic continued for Moiseyev as he captured the $469,000 William Wellwood Memorial Trot for two-year-olds with another local contender, The Game Plan, just a few races later.

With 4-5 favourite American Gangster (Brian Sears), who set a track record in his elimination last week, making a costly break in stride behind the gate, The Game Plan had one less competitor to worry about.

Money On My Mind (Andy Miller) left alertly from the outer Post 9 to take the early lead while Weingartner (Jimmy Takter) settled into the pocket and The Game Plan was positioned in third.

As the field headed down the backstretch to the half in :56.3, The Game Plan swept to command and proceeded to lead to the three-quarters mark in 1:26.

Meanwhile, elimination winner Little Brown Fox (Ron Pierce) advanced first up from fifth while Weingartner made a miscue around the final turn and moved to the inside lane.

As The Game Plan headed down the lane with his sights set on a shiny new stakes trophy, Money On My Mind found room to slip up the rail. However, The Game Plan dug in and managed to hold off that challenger by a head for the 1:55.2 triumph. Little Brown Fox finished third while Prestidigitator (Sylvain Filion) was fourth and Power Play (Dave Miller) was fifth.

“I wasn’t anxious at all. I knew Jack would pull it off," said trainer John Kopas of Milton, Ont., who also shares ownership of the Kadabra-Image Control gelding with Gary Grieve of Union, Ont., the LLK Stable and Anthony Wagner of Mississauga, Ont. “He’s done that for a lot of people over the years and he’s probably one the greatest drivers that’s ever lived and he’s probably one of the best friends I’ll ever have. I met Jack probably back in 1982. He and I were bumping around the New York Sire Stakes and he had a lot of talent then and it’s proven out."

The Game Plan, an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final winner, notched his sixth win in eight starts and boosted his bankroll over the $400,000 mark.

He paid $9.20 to win as the 7-2 second choice.

One race earlier, Moiseyev and Kopas also teamed up to win the $30,000 Preferred 2 Pace with Grin For Money in 1:49.4.

In other stakes action, Win Missy B blazed to a 1:53.3 stakes, track and Canadian record triumph in the $447,000 Peaceful Way Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies earlier on the Saturday night card.

Leaving from the two post, elimination winner Superstar Hanover (Ron Pierce) found herself in an early tussle for the lead with Post 9 starter Lover Walked In (Andy Miller), but she jumped it off taking herself out of contention and into the safety lane. Lover Walked In was left on the lead heading to the opening quarter mark in :27 seconds with another elimination winner, Win Missy B (Trevor Ritchie), tucked in the pocket, Miss Majestic (Sylvain Filion) in third and the favoured Post 10 starter Check Me Out (Tim Tetrick) positioned fourth.

Ritchie then made the winning move down the backstretch sending 2-1 second choice Win Missy B to the lead. The daughter of Conway Hall-Winning Missbrenda hit the half in a speedy :55.4 and opened up four lengths en route to the next marker in 1:24.3.

Meanwhile, Miss Majestic had moved off the pylons providing Check Me Out with a perfect second over tow. Check Me Out rallied off the cover in the stretch and began to close in on Win Missy B, but couldn’t catch the record-setting filly, who won by one and a quarter lengths. Win Missy B lowered the late Snow White’s stakes, track and Canadian record by four-fifths of a second. Miss Paris (Scott Zeron) finished six lengths back in third with another elimination winner, Aunt Mel (Dave Miller), coming in fourth and Miss Majestic fifth.

“She was really [fired up] I really don’t know what happened because last week she was just like a kitten to drive,” commented Ritchie, a former driver of the great Peaceful Way herself. “She left out of there nice and relaxed [last week]. I went a pretty easy first quarter and then a horse came at me down the backstretch and she let that horse go. She was just really gentle and followed real nice. But tonight she was sure fired up from the time the word 'go' was given.

“She really was [still digging down the stretch]," added the veteran reinsman. "When I saw the half I was sick to my stomach almost, but there wasn’t much I could do about it, she was almost taking charge of me. So once I saw the half I thought well I’ve likely blown it now so we might as well just keep rolling. When you try to shut one of these green ones down at the third quarter and try to get them go again sometimes it's tough to do.”

Win Missy B notched her fifth win in eight starts and pushed her earnings to $310,280 for trainer Charlie Norris and owner-breeder Robert Key of Leechburg, Pennsylvania.

She paid $6.50 to win as the 2-1 second choice.

For recaps of tonight's Milton Stakes eliminations for aged pacing mares, click here.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.