After giving futile chase to Allywag Hanover in last week's Mohawk Gold Cup — but still mustering a third-place finish against one of the "now" horses in the older pacing ranks, Robert Fellows trainee Warrawee Vital ($3.20) delivered a crushing 1:47.3 blow to his five rivals in Saturday's (Sept. 25) $34,000 Preferred Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Trevor Henry gunned the four-year-old Captaintreacherous entire to the front from his outside post six, and the pair threw down the gauntlet through gruelling early fractions of :26.2 and :54.1. On the far turn, Warrawee Vital picked up the pace even more to try to distance himself from pocket rival Wheels On Fire (Doug McNair), but it took until well after three-quarters in 1:21 for that plan to come to fruition. In the final furlong, Warrawee Vital opened immediate daylight on his five rivals, drawing clear powerfully to trounce Wheels On Fire by 6-1/4 lengths. Best In Show (Jody Jamieson) finished third after tracking the top pair throughout the mile.
Blair Corbeil, Yolanda Fellows and M&S Racing Stable own Warrawee Vital, who exceeded $400,000 in career earnings with his 13th career win.
Warrawee Vital's Preferred win was the top overnight performance on Canada's richest card of harness racing, which was headlined by the 2021 Mohawk Million. Read about all the stakes from the card in the Mohawk Million News Centre.