The field is set for the $405,000 Peaceful Way following a pair of eliminations on Thursday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
A group of 14 two-year-old trotting fillies were split into a pair of $30,000 eliminations to determine the field for the rich final on September 14. The top-five finishers from each division advanced to the final.
Donato Hanover filly Dip Me Hanover broke her maiden in the first elimination with a 1:55.1 victory. The Linda Toscano trainee and driver David Miller angled out of third going around the far turn to sit only a length away from leader P L Notsonice turning for home and powered by in the lane for a length victory.
“She’s been racing really well and she has gate speed, but just hasn’t been using it,” said Miller following the victory. “I thought tonight I’d try and get her into the race and she finished up really good.”
P L Notsonice cleared to the lead shortly after a :28.3 opener proceeding to post fractions of :58.2 and 1:27 before surrendering the lead to Dip Me Hanover. She Rocks Kemp finished third while the top-five was completed by Intense Justice and She Must Be Magic.
Race favourite Whose Blues was off her game and failed to make the final by finishing sixth. The Luc Blais trainee got away at the rear of the field and could only pass one rival in the lane.
“(Bob McClure) didn’t leave, so I didn’t know how far back (Whose Blues) was,” said Miller. “I got away in a really good spot. I thought she’d be strong enough to be able to take first over and she sure did.”
Dip Me Hanover is now one for seven with $34,516 earned for owners Camelot Stable Inc, Dreamville Stable and Randi Farms LLC. The Toscano trainee was a $52,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase.
A $2 win ticket on Dip Me Hanover returned $7.50 to win.
Panem followed up her Champlain victory from a week ago with a 1:55.4 score in the second division. The Nancy Johansson trainee and driver Dexter Dunn cleared to the lead just after the half and held off a late inside push from Hello Tomorrow to win by a head.
“I was really proud of her tonight and the way she dug in,” said Johansson. “Hello Tomorrow is obviously a very nice filly and she fought all the way to the finish line, so obviously that makes me happy that she’s learning that you’re supposed to be first.”
Hello Tomorrow made the top shortly after a :29 opener. Dunn started up Panem from third entering the backstretch and cleared just after a :58.2 half to then lead the field to three-quarters in 1:27.
Panem drifted off the rail enough in the lane for Hello Tomorrow to make an inside bid but the leader fought her off to win. Jula Shes Magic finished third while Heat Wave Hanover and Sheer Energy also made the final.
A daughter of Father Patrick, Panem is a homebred for owners Diamond Creek Racing. She now has back-to-back victories to improve her record to two wins and $77,206 earned in seven starts.
Panem paid $8.30 to win.
The $405,000 Peaceful Way final joins the Canadian Trotting Classic, Elegantimage and William Wellwood Memorial for a rich stakes-card on Saturday, September 14.
The post positions for next week’s final were drawn following the eliminations. The elimination winners earned their connections the right to select their post for the final.
$405,000 Peaceful Way
1. Intense Justice
2. She Must Be Magic
3. Dip Me Hanover
4. Panem
5. She Rocks Kemp
6. Jula Shes Magic
7. Heat Wave Hanover
8. PL Notsonice
9. Hello Tomorrow
10. Sheer Energy
AE. Whose Blues
(Woodbine Mohawk Park)
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.