A pair of graded stakes for pacing fillies took centre stage on the Friday, Sept. 5 card of harness racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park with Perfectly Chic and Fabulous Hanover collecting the crowns in their respective events.
Even-money chalk Perfectly Chic brushed confidently to the front mid-race and strode for the finish with resolve to repel her late challengers and win the $158,225 Simcoe Stakes (Grade 3) for three-year-old pacing fillies in a 1:52.1 mile.
Driven by Bob McClure, Perfectly Chic settled into third through a :26.3 first quarter as Outtathisworld Deo (Tyler Borth) rushed forward alongside Dirty Diana (Jody Jamieson) for the top spot. Once proceedings lightened, McClure angled Perfectly Chic outside and swept to command just before a :55.2 half.
McClure maintained a calm hold through the turn under a mild first-over challenge from Millie May Hanover (Doug McNair) on the march to three-quarters in 1:24.1 but faced increased pressure off the final turn.
Always Dawn (James MacDonald) punched off a second-over trip while Outtathisworld Deo shot through at the pylons, but McClure called upon his filly through the late heat and she comfortably pulled the victory from the fire, staving off Always Dawn to win by a neck with Outtathisworld Deo settling for third a half-length back.
An Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner at the start of the summer at Mohawk, Perfectly Chic won just her second race from 13 starts this season for trainer John Pentland. She entered the Simcoe off a close runner-up finish in the Aug. 24 Gold leg at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
“Last week at Rideau, she might’ve held on, but she’s never raced on the front and she cleared pretty early,” said McClure after the race. “It seemed like she was lost and she didn’t know what to do, so I thought if she had some slits in the back of her blinkers that she might see more and drive on. Tonight, John made an adjustment and put the same blinkers, but just a little slit so she could see horses coming. That was her first time racing on the front and she raced great."
“We’ve raced her in an open bridle and we’ve raced her with the cups without holes, so it was an easy transition to go to cups with holes in it and it obviously helped her,” said Pentland. “He gave her a good trip again, and he’s driven her well all year and kept her as fresh as you can at this class. Kudos to him.”
A daughter of Betterthancheddar out of Fit N Bad bred by Winbak Farm, Perfectly Chic earned her fourth career win from 20 starts while adding to her bankroll now worth $422,839 for Pentland and partners Steve Mihalic of Oakville, Ont., and 2729346 Ontario Inc. of Rockwood, Ont.
Perfectly Chic paid $4 to win as the bettors' choice in the field reduced to nine with reigning Horse of the Year Chantilly scratched sick.
Fabulous Hanover spurted through an opening at the pylons in mid-stretch and outsprinted the late-rallying Daya to win the $164,225 Champlain Stakes (Grade 3) for two-year-old pacing fillies in 1:52.
Louis-Philippe Roy hustled Fabulous Hanover to the fore out of post five and cut a :26.4 first quarter. As Roy steadied the tempo in the backstretch, 3-5 favourite Naughty Delight (James MacDonald) swung out of fourth and gutted forward first-up to grab control through a :55.2 half.
Naughty Delight carried her speed through the turn to clock three-quarters in 1:23.2 while Twin B Fierce (Doug McNair) pushed uncovered on the rim with 8-5 second choice Daya (Jody Jamieson) on her back.
Roy held a tight grip on Fabulous Hanover from the pocket spot spinning for home. Naughty Delight grew weary on the lead while Roy found a seam up the inside to unleash his charge just as Daya gathered to top speed towards the centre of the track. Daya stormed for the finish, but Fabulous Hanover met the challenge and held strongly at the inside for a half-length win. Naughty Delight faded to third.
Nancy Takter trains Fabulous Hanover, a filly by Captaintreacherous out of Fashion Katie, for owners Marvin and Lynn Katz of Toronto, Ont., and Daniel Plouffe of Bromont, Que. The Hanover Shoe Farms-bred filly, a $138,889 yearling purchase from the 2024 Standardbred Horse Sale, broke her maiden with the win in her fifth start and has now banked $108,032.
“Nancy [Takter] sent me a few texts about how the filly was – that she likes better to chase another one than being in the front down the lane,” said Roy after picking up the winning catch-drive. “I thought we might be able to follow [Daya] there, but the way we had to push and then [Daya] retreated… we still had a helmet to follow.
“She was really good when she had room at the end,” Roy also said. “I didn’t have to ask her -- still had the plugs in -- she was just flying there. On the outside, Daya had the momentum, so it’s pretty rare you still beat the one when you find room late like this and the other one has gone by. That proved the filly has a pretty quick turn of foot.”
Fabulous Hanover paid $9.80 to win as the 7-2 third wagering choice.
A former Champlain and Simcoe Stakes winner, Sylvia Hanover prepped for her next stakes engagement with a 1:50.2 victory in a $50,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace on Friday night's undercard. Driven by four-time Friday winner Bob McClure, the 2023 Horse of the Year and $2.6 million career earner wore down pacesetter Kobes Gigi (James MacDonald) by a neck in a :26.2 closing quarter, with Tells On A Roll (Travis Cullen) taking third over My Girl EJ (Louis-Philippe Roy) as the top four finishers were prepping for next weekend's Grade 2 Milton Stakes. Sylvia Hanover paid $2.80 to win as the 2-5 favourite. Shawn Steacy trains the five-year-old Always B Miki-Shyaway mare for owner Hudson Standradbred Stable of Hudson, Que.
Sylvia Hanover, Kobes Gigi, Tells On A Roll and My Girl EJ will be joined by Soft Shot, Talk Curdy To Me and Twin B Joe Fresh in the Milton Stakes on Saturday, Sept. 13.
Live harness racing continues this Saturday evening at Mohawk. The 12-race card features more Simcoe and Champlain Stakes divisions.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Woodbine & Standardbred Canada; photo of Perfectly Chic winning on Sept. 5)