Fourteen of the finest three-year-old colt and gelding trotters in North America will line up behind the gate for this year’s Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack.
With two eliminations taking place, the top five finishers from each race will advance to the $700,000 final on Saturday, September 14 at the Campbellville oval.
Hambletonian champion, Royalty For Life will headline the first elimination for trainer George Ducharme. The son of RC Royalty has banked $874,850 this season along with a 5-1-0 record from nine starts.
Owned by Alfred Ross, Raymond Campbell and Paul Fontaine, Royalty For Life has won five of his last six starts. He'll leave from post five in the first elimination with Brian Sears aboard.
Flanagan Memory, who captured the Goodtimes Trot earlier this year at Mohawk, will leave post two in the first elimination.
The Rene Dion-trainee has banked $256,298 this season, but will face a tough test as he’ll square off against the 2013 Hambletonian winner.
“There are two small fields for the eliminations, which always helps,” Dion said. “My horse is coming into the race in very good shape, but he’ll have his work cut out for him. It’s never an easy task racing at this level and he’ll have to put his best foot forward.”
The son of Kadabra made an uncharacteristic break last start against OSS Grassroots foes, but made a great recovery to to find the wire first in 1:56.
“I’m not exactly sure why he did that,” Dion said. “The only thing I can think of is because he had the rail and was maybe looking around. Usually he draws outside and has horses on both sides of him. I’m happy with the two-hole.”
Flanagan Memory has raced eight times this season and eight times last year, but the results have been quite different.
“He just had to grow up and mature, that was his biggest thing,” Dion explained, about last season. “Last year he would make breaks and such and this year, he’s grown into a man. He went from a boy last year to a man this year.”
Flanagan Memory has crafted an impressive 7-2-1 record in his career along with $295,498 in earnings for Dion, who shares ownership with Liette Flanagan.
Chris Christoforou is listed to steer once again.
The other elimination features 2012 O'Brien Award winner Wheeling N Dealin, KYSS champ Master Of Law and Beal winner Corky.
The richest in his elimination with $660,191 on his card this season, Corky has crafted a 4-5-3 record from 13 starts this season along with $887,488 in his career. The son of Muscles Yankee will begin from post one with regular pilot David Miller.
With two eliminations set for Saturday evening, the top five finishers will advance to the lucrative final.
Race 2 - Canadian Trotting Classic Elimination #1
1) Your So Vain
2) Flanagan Memory
3) Smilin Eli
4) All Laid Out
5) Royalty For Life
6) Pine Credit
7) Murmur Hanover
Race 3 - Canadian Trotting Classic Elimination #2
1) Corky
2) Gotta Secret
3) Toocool Forschool
4) Fico
5) Master Of Law
6) Punxsutawney
7) Wheeling N Dealin
Saturday's card also features two Simcoe divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings as well as Champlain divisions for two-year-old pacing colts and fillies. To view entries for Saturday's card of harness racing, click one of the following links:
Saturday Entries - Mohawk Racetrack - Overnight Sheet -- Program Pages courtesy of TrackIT.
(with files from WEG)