Simply Business In Another Metro Pace Shocker

Simply Business got up in the final strides to pull off a 20-1 upset in the $1 million Metro Pace, the richest harness race on the continent for two-year-olds, during Saturday’s stakes program at Mohawk

Racetrack.

Driver Ron Pierce fired the son of Rocknroll Hanover-Cathedra Dot Com to command from Post 9 ahead of Hurrikane Kingcole (Luc Ouellette) and reached the opening quarter in :26 seconds.

A Rocknroll Dance (Yannick Gingras), who put forth a world record equalling performance in his elimination last week, advanced to command from third down the backstretch and reached the half in :54.1.

As A Rocknroll Dance headed to three-quarters in 1:22.1, D Terminata (Randy Waples), another elimination winner, advanced first over with Major Bombay (Brian Sears) on his cover.

A Rocknroll Dance shook off his challenger around the final turn, but could not hold off the pocket-pulling Simply Business down the lane. The Jimmy Takter trainee collared A Rocknroll Dance at the wire in 1:50.1. Elimination winner and fan favourite Speed Again (Jody Jamieson) came on to show and survived a judges’ inquiry. The judges ruled that the third place finisher did go inside one pylon in the first turn, but no pylon rule violations were committed.

Simply Business, who finished third in his elimination to D Terminata, was Pierce's first choice in the Metro Pace final despite also driving A Rocknroll Dance to his elimination win.

“Jimmy and I have been bringing this colt along nice and slow," noted Pierce in the winner's circle. "I love the way he’s bred, I love the way he’s put together, and I loved the way he’s been coming around. Each week, he’s been getting a little better and better. I knew Jimmy could get him to peak tonight. I figured with the right kind of trip, we could lick them.

“We’ve been racing him from the back most of the time off a helmet but tonight we changed strategy. He’s like a 14 and a half, 15-year-old kid. Not sure what he’s supposed to be doing. Go fast, but not sure if he’s supposed to do it. It [the trip] couldn’t have worked out any better.”

Simply Business paid $43.70 for the upset. The win was his third in six career starts and boosted his bankroll to $603,500 for Sweden's Brixton Medical Ab and Order By Stable, Louie Camara of Puslinch, Ont., and Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband, all of Toronto.

The win was part of a fabulous night of racing for Takter and Pierce. The pair teamed up for a victory in a $123,644 division of the Simcoe Stakes with Pastor Stephen. Takter trainee American Jewel and Tim Tetrick also won the $633,000 Shes A Great Lady Stake in a world record 1:50.2 while Pierce drove Sam DePinto pupil We Will See to a 1:47.4 stakes record victory in the $832,000 Canadian Pacing Derby. Full recaps and replays of all the stakes action are available below.

Second choice Shakerattlenrock ($7.40) blasted to command from fourth down the backstretch and held off pocket-sitter Machapelo (Jody Jamieson) to win the $100,000 Metro Pace Consolation in a career best 1:51.1 for driver Brian Sears and trainer Scott Mceneny. Gable Blue Chip (Ron Pierce) was third. New Jersey’s Fabulous Farms LLC and Robert Horowitz share ownership of the Rocknroll Hanover-Fox Valley Shaker colt, who was a runner-up in the Nassagaweya Stakes to Speed Again.

World Record For Undefeated American Jewel

The undefeated American Jewel turned in a dazzling 1:50.2 world record performance in the $633,000 Shes A Great Lady Stake for two-year-old pacing fillies.

After equalling A And Gsconfusion and Pretty Katherine’s 1:50.3 world record for freshman filly pacers in her elimination, the American Ideal-Trim Hanover filly claimed the mark all for herself with Tim Tetrick engineering the winning trip.

Big McDeal (Jody Jamieson) sprinted off the gate from Post 4 with the parked out Post 10 starter Pirouette Hanover (Ron Pierce) rushing up to take over past the :26.4 opening quarter.

Shelliscape (Randy Waples) followed rolling up alongside that filly down the backstretch with American Jewel and Economy Terror (Brian Sears) on her cover.

Pirouette Hanover blazed past the half in :53.4 and three-quarters in 1:21.2 before American Jewel came knocking at her door as Shelliscape began to tire. She went wide and took over down the stretch with Economy Terror chasing her to the finish. Pirouette Hanover was third.

“She did all she had to do today,” said Tetrick. “It was a great effort in world record time, how much more there could be I don’t know. She fought all the way to the wire.”

American Jewel paid $3.50 to win as the 3-5 favourite. Jimmy Takter trains the filly, who notched her sixth straight win and pushed her earnings to $440,391 for owner-breeder Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky.

With Jody Jamieson in the sulky, Angel Scent rallied home from the backfield for a maiden-breaking 1:51.2 score in the $50,000 Shes A Great Lady Consolation. Ben Wallace trains the Western Ideal-Aromatic miss for owners Doug Millard of Woodstock, Ont. and Ohio’s Spring Haven Farm.

We Will See Claims Canadian Pacing Derby Title And Record

We Will See held off defending champion Won The West to capture the $832,000 Canadian Pacing Derby for three-year-olds and up in a 1:47.4 stakes record clocking.

The time of the mile also matched Art Professor’s track and Canadian record for aged pacing horses and was two-fifths of a second off the overall male record held by geldings Won The West (track, Canadian) and Primetime Bobcat (Canadian).

Inside starter Atochia (Andy Miller) fired off a :26 second opening quarter before elimination winner Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras) rolled up from fourth to take over command down the backstretch with Art Professor (Jody Jamieson) blasting up alongside that pacer and pushing ahead past the :53.4 half-mile mark.

Meanwhile, We Will See and driver Ron Pierce were spotted second over with Won The West (Dave Miller) moving up on their back.

Foiled Again battled back on the inside en route to three-quarters in 1:20.1, but We Will See had the perfect second over trip and came charging off cover to take over command midway down the stretch. The four-year-old son of Western Hanover-Aberdakara held off hard-closing heavyweight Won The West to win by a neck in 1:47.4, shaving two-fifths of a second off the stakes record set by Shark Gesture in 2009. Foiled Again was third, just three-quarters of a length behind.

“They were racing hard,” said Pierce following the victory. “I was back there coming second over and nice and easy down the back and Jody took a run at Yannick there, almost got around him and Yannick changed his mind and turned his whip around and they were moving right along and I was just back there licking my chops liking the way things were are going."

“I thought it shaped up very well," added trainer Sam DePinto. "He got away fifth and he worked out a beautiful trip with him. They are all tough horses, every one of
them.”

We Will See, a runner-up in the elimination, paid $4.80 to win as the favourite. The DePinto trainee lifted his 2011 earnings over the $1 million mark while recording his ninth win of the season in 19 starts. His career bankroll climbed to $1,939,684. New Jersey’s Shannon DePinto and Earl Smith share ownership of the Ben Franklin and U.S. Pacing Championship winner with New York’s Jerry Silva.

Anndrovette Surpasses $1 Million

Anndrovette worked her way to the top early on and rolled right into the millionaire’s club with her upset victory in the inaugural $100,000 Spring Of Hope Invitational Pace earlier on the card.

Tetrick sent Anndrovette to command from Post 7 during a :26.3 opening quarter and proceeded to the half in :55 while Naughtytiltheend (Dave Miller) moved underway from fifth with heavy 2-5 favourite Dreamfair Eternal (Randy Waples) following her cover.

Anndrovette motored to three-quarters in 1:22.3 and opened up a two and a half length lead in the stretch to secure the victory in 1:50 flat with the pocket pulling Rock N Soul (Yannick Gingras) coming on for second and Maureen Rocks (Scott Zeron) rallying home from the backfield for third.

"I wanted to go forward and luckily I fell in third or fourth on the outside. The [Ron] Burke horse [Rock N Soul] was on the front, so I went ahead and moved her to the front," Tetrick said of his racing strategy. "I got a decent second quarter and my mare is big and strong and she carried her speed the rest of the way.

"Dreamfair Eternal, you've always got to watch for her," he continued. "She's definitely a nice mare and she's hard to beat. At the Meadowlands she beat us both times [in the Lady Liberty and Golden Girl]. Today we got the best of her. I'm sure she wasn't on her game since she had a good trip and had no go. Luckily, I was in the right spot at the right time."

Anndrovette paid $19 to win for the upset. The four-year-old daughter of Riverboat King-Easy Miss is trained by Mark Kesmodel for New Jersey owners Jeffrey Bamond and Joseph Davino. She has now won half of her 14 starts this year, including the Betsy Ross and Artiscape Pace. The lion’s share of the purse pushed her earnings to $437,677 for 2011 and $1,014,937 lifetime.

In collaboration, standardbred owner Richard Young and the Woodbine Entertainment Group established the stakes event to honour the 'A Spring of Hope' charity. Created by Young's daughter, Brittany, the charity builds wells for schools in impoverished areas in Africa. In lieu of traditional nomination payments or starting fees, the owners in the race were asked if they would be willing to make a donation towards the cause. Raffles and a silent auction on track also contributed to the cause.

Pastor Stephen Joins Millionaire's Club

Pastor Stephen inherited the lead when pacesetter Blue Porsche made a costly break in stride in the stretch and survived an inquiry in the first $123,644 Simcoe Stakes division for three-year-old trotters.

Blasting off the gate from the outside Post 10, Whatever It Takes (Andy Miller) drove three-wide into the first turn to take the lead at the :27.4 opening quarter.

As the field headed down the backstretch, Blue Porsche (Trevor Ritchie) advanced first up from fourth with Pastor Stephen (Ron Pierce) following his cover. Blue Porsche cleared the lead before the half :57 and proceeded to three-quarters in 1:24.3 with Pastor Stephen ducking into the two-hole around the final turn.

Blue Porsche made a costly break in stride as he entered the stretch handing the lead, and ultimately the victory, over to Pastor Stephen, who hit the wire in 1:52.4, besting the stakes record by two-fifths of a second. Luckycharm Hanover (David Miller) followed for second one and a quarter lengths behind with Whatever It Takes third.

Following an inquiry, the judges’ ruled that Pierce did put both lines in one hand but did not strike the horse, therefore there were no violations to the urging rule.

The son of Cantab Hall-Gala Dream also entered the millionaire’s club tonight with the winner’s share of the purse added to his lifetime bankroll.

“He started out really good [this season] and then unfortunately he was one of my horses to get sick,” commented trainer Jimmy Takter in the winner’s circle. “He’s been better for the last six or seven weeks here now.

“Today’s business is so tough,” he continued. “You’re never really confident before you race. You wish for the best. Blue Porsche is a very good horse and he’s also been having some issues this year so you never know who is going to be on today. Ron Pierce was very happy, he said he felt like he had the right power back in him and hopefully by the time we race him in the Canadian [Trotting] Classic we’ll have the old horse back.”

Pastor Stephen has recorded four wins, two seconds and two thirds so far this year in 10 outings for $393,623 in earnings.

He paid $4.30 to win as the bettor's choice.

Whiskey Tax Hoists First Trophy After Simcoe Win

Hanbletonian runner-up Whiskey Tax earned the first stakes trophy of his career after capturing the second $121,644 Simcoe Stakes division of the night for three-year-old trotters.

The son of Revenue S-Bourbon Belle and driver Randy Waples left from Post 5 and posted a tepid opening quarter of :29 seconds, before Leader Of The Gang (Jimmy Takter) pulled the pocket and cleared to the front at the half in :58.

Windsong Hercules (Rick Zeron) made his move from third during the third interval, advancing first up with Can Anyone Explain (Trevor Ritchie) following his cover before breaking stride at the 1:26.1 three-quarters mark, and Tamarind (Sylvain Filion) third over.

However, Whiskey Tax pulled the pocket entering the stretch and put away Leader Of The Gang en route to a career-best 1:55.1 victory. Windsong Hercules finished half a length behind in second with Tamarind coming in third.

“He should live to be about a thousand years old, he really looks after himself well,” noted Waples in the winner’s circle. “He’ll get out of the gate good and he’ll spot good, but if he has to do any extra work that he thinks he shouldn’t have to do then he’s just not going to do it. He is a smart horse.

“He’s really good out of the pocket so that doesn’t bother me,” said Waples of settling for a pocket ride behind Leader Of The Gang. “I just didn’t know if I should or not because the first quarter was so cheap and we really weren’t going much the second quarter either."

Waples admitted that he wasn't sure if Whiskey Tax would hold on for the win with his quirky attitude.

“He came off Jimmy’s helmet and he just wanted to go a thousand miles per hour and I thought he was going to win by a couple easily, but then when he gets past that last horse he just starts to look after himself again and started to do the moon walk on me about halfway down the lane. Ricky was still coming and I respect Ricky’s horse so I didn’t know if I was going to get there in time or not. He’s different, he just has his little things about him, but he’s just a beautiful animal to drive. He's beautifully gaited, steers perfect and doesn’t take too much of a hold of you. He just does everything perfect, but he just wants to do it his way.”

Whiskey Tax paid $4.20 to win as the odds-on favourite. Trainer Thomas Durand co-owns the bay gelding with his wife, June Durand of Puslinch, Ont., and Allan Smith of Oakville, Ont.

After going winless in nine freshman starts, Whiskey Tax has gone on to record three victories, two seconds and two thirds in his 11-race sophomore season so far while banking $492,462. His lifetime bankroll now stands at $599,500.

For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.