Two-year-old trotting colt Harper Blue Chip earned his first Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series win with a 1:55 stakes record performance before Mohawk Racetrack's Friday card was cancelled midway through the night due to lighting issues.
Mohawk was forced to cancel the final half of its 12-race card due to ongoing power outages effecting its track lights. Five of the evening's seven OSS Gold races were staged before the cancellation and the remaining two events have been moved to Saturday, Sept. 21. They will be held as non-wagering races prior to the Saturday card with a post time of 6:30 p.m.
Harper Blue Chip and Deweykeepumnwhy won a pair of $70,000 divisions with the remaining two-year-old trotting colt event postponed.
Entering the final Gold leg off a runner-up finish in last weekend's William Wellwood Memorial, heavy 1-9 favourite Harper Blue Chip held off the OSS division's leading money earner, Muscle Matters, for the record-setting victory in rein to Sylvain Filion for trainer Mark Steacy.
Muscle Matters (Mario Baillargeon) cleared to command from post seven at the :28.1 quarter pole, but Filion sent Harper Blue Chip first over from fourth nearing the :58 half-mile mark and cleared to command. He cruised by three-quarters in 1:26.3 before Muscle Matters launched a late attack, reeling the leader in with every stride. However, Harper Blue Chip fought gamely to the wire to prevail by a head for the fourth time in eight career starts. Alerthemedia (Eddie Green) finished nearly seven lengths behind in third.
The 1:55 career-best clocking was two-fifths of a second faster than Murmur Hanover's OSS record for two-year-old trotters established last year at Mohawk.
The Majestic Son-Winning Jonlin colt is owned by his Lansdowne, Ont. trainer along with Landmark 6 Racing Stable of Kingston, Ont., David McDonald of Cornwall, Ont. and David Reid of Glenburnie, Ont.
After starting out at the Grassroots level, Harper Blue Chip faced Grand Circuit colts late this summer earning a victory in the Champlain Stakes. He now boasts career earnings totalling $196,883.
Deweykeepumnwhy, the 4-5 favourite in his earlier division, rolled to the lead after a :28.4 opening panel and carved out middle fractions of :58.1 and 1:27.1 en route to a career-best 1:55.4 score over the quick-closing longshot Dream Rocker (Chris Christoforou) and first over Dontcheatonmenow (Jack Moiseyev).
Jody Jamieson drove the Deweycheatumnhowe-Beazy gelding to his second Gold Series win for trainer Ron Parsons and owner Norah Parks of New Lowell, Ont.
After a 15 minute delay caused when several track lights went out due to a power surge before the fifth race, the first set of two-year-old pacing colts were sent on their way in a $105,000 division. The second set will face off on Saturday as one of the rescheduled races.
Bugger Bruiser and driver Anthony MacDonald closed from the pocket to edge out divisional co-leader Crafty Master (Doug McNair) by a neck in the event, matching the 1:50.3 track and Canadian record for freshman pacing geldings held by Speed Again.
The 3-1 third choice forged his way to the top from post seven during a :27.1 first quarter, but settled for the two-hole trip as Crafty Master brushed by from fourth. After leading through middle splits of :55 and 1:23, Crafty Master was conquered in deep stretch. Favourite Jet Airway (Sylvain Filion) advanced first over to show over two lengths behind.
Carmen Auciello trains the son of Believeinbruiser out of How Is Carrie, who notched his second straight Gold win, for owners Denarben Stables of Thornhill, Ont. and Rocco Auciello of Stouffville, Ont.
The first of two $105,000 Gold divisions for three-year-old trotting colts was won by Buddy Hally and driver Doug McNair in a career-best 1:53.4.
The Angus Hall-Credibility colt sat fourth through fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:24.2 before unleashing a late surge to propel him to a two and a half length triumph. Toocool Forschool(Jody Jamieson) and Tag Up And Go (Chris Christoforou) finished second and third, respectively.
OSS leading conditioner Gregg McNair trains and co-owns the two-time Gold winner with Howmac Farms Ltd. of North Wiltshire, P.E.I., Reginald MacPherson of Stratford, P.E.I., and Wayne MacRae of Fall River, N.S.
Despite a section of track lights in the backstretch going dark once again when the wings of the gate opened for sophomore trotting colts' second division, Flanagan Memory and Chris Christoforou cruised wire-to-wire to win in a personal-best clocking of 1:53.3.
The heavy 1-2 favourite carved out fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:25.1 en route to the two length victory over pocket-sitter Kinetic King (Roger Mayotte) while divisional point leader Thankyoukessel (Mike Saftic) advanced first over to show.
Rene Dion trains and co-owns the Kadabra-Classy Stacy colt, who is the top OSS money earner in the division thanks in part to his Mid-Summer Challenge win and a pair of regular Gold Series events. Liette Flanagan of Repentigny, Que. also shares ownership.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.