Louis-Philippe Roy recorded his 3,000th career driving victory as he won the second race at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Roy floated Charlie Cheeks out from post seven before sending him on to take the lead after a :28.3 quarter. Charlie Cheeks led on a 2-1/4-length cushion through the half in :58.3 and three-quarters in 1:27.4, and he held off the surging Florida Guy (Tyler Borth) to win by a head in 1:56.3. Dulces Suenos Deo (Mike Whelan) was third. Charlie Cheeks, a three-year-old son of Alarm Detector-Royal Witch, broke his maiden in his 11th start for trainer Shane Weber and owners Tom and Elizabeth Rankin.
Roy made his pari-mutuel debut in 2008 and, after another win on Thursday, has won 3,001 races in 16,772 drives. He received the Future Star Award in 2016 and was named Canada’s Driver of the Year in 2018 and 2019. He has been one of the top drivers at Mohawk since 2017, winning the title at both the Campbellville, Ont. oval and Woodbine Racetrack in 2018. The 35-year-old Mont-Joli, Que. native had his best season in 2018 with 416 victories. He is 231-for-1,178 in 2025 and has driven stars such as Emoticon Legacy, Ervin Hanover, Lasting Dream, and Nijinsky this season.
The 10-race card featured four $25,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Consolations for two-year-olds.
Cattlekiss ($4) captured the pacing filly division in commanding fashion for her sixth straight victory. Leading Rideau Carleton Raceway driver Guy Gagnon made the trip westward to pilot the filly, whom he trains and owns via Ecuries Guy Gagnon Inc., to the front-end score. Cattlekiss posted :27.3, :56.3, and 1:24 fractions and cruised to a three-length victory in 1:51.2. Horse With A Plan (Travis Cullen) finished second with Annies Diva (Roy) closing for third.
The winning Cattlewash-Kiss Baby Kiss filly dominated the Coupe de L’Avenir series in Quebec and won her $55,000 final before Thursday’s victory. She is now six-for-eight with $63,400 in earnings.
Calgary Morning ($5) grinded to a 1:58.1 win in the consolation for trotting distaffs. Todd Ratchford sent her on the march from third on the final turn, and Calgary Morning reached the front before the eighth pole and held off My Ghost (Roy) by a half-length. Hp Imagine (Austin Sorrie) was third. Matt Bax trains Calgary Morning, a daughter of Green Manalishi S-Hold Her Tight, for Bax Stable, David Hudson, Gaelic Stable 2, and Happy Trails Stables.
Anibal Duharas ($11) shifted off cover at the head of the stretch and ignited at the eighth pole, flying to a 1:56.4 score by 1-1/2 lengths for Roy in the trotting colt consolation. Maize And Blue (Doug McNair) came home second over Sendi Ka (Borth). Anibal Duharas broke his maiden in his seventh start for trainer Kyle Fellows. The Green Manalishi S-Cleopatre Duharas colt is owned by Westover De L’Estrie Inc.
Cheese Dreams ($3.70) vaulted out of the pocket to strike the front at three-quarters and stormed to a 2-3/4-length victory in 1:52.1 in the consolation for pacing males. Ryder Ross (McNair) was second, followed by Elmer Hanover (Tyler Jones). Jody Jamieson drove the winning Betterthancheddar-Alphabet Queen gelding for trainer Scott McNiven and owners Kim McNiven, Kelley McNiven, Douglas Heywood, and Brad Douglas.
The three-year-old Grassroots Consolations will be contested on Friday at Mohawk.
To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Charlie Cheeks winning on Sept. 25)