Driver Randy Waples will steer two juvenile trotting fillies in Thursday’s $30,000 Peaceful Way eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack in hopes they both advance to the $447,000 final on Saturday, September 17
.
In the first race, Waples will steer Witch Way from Post 2 for trainer Joseph MacIsaac.
The daughter of Ken Warkentin--Chelemark Gizmo, who is owned by Douglas Millard of Woodstock, Ont. and Carolyn Williston of Moffat, Ont., has four wins from six lifetime starts and has banked $161,033 in purse earnings.
Her biggest victory came in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final at Grand River Raceway on July 4. The bay captured her division of the Champlain Stakes last Thursday at Mohawk, which is a win Waples believes has prepared her for this week’s elimination.
“She should come out of her last start really good because she needed that start. She had a month off,” he said. “She won the Champlain, she seemed good. It will be an interesting step up against U.S.-bred fillies.”
Waples admires Witch Way’s determination and gait, but feels one of her biggest battles is upon her.
“When [the U.S. fillies] come up, they are bred a little different,” the resident of Milton, Ont. explained. “The fillies are usually a little better quality and they usually are the toughest ones, so we’ll have to see.”
Its All Magic will leave from Post 5 in Race 4, which is the third and final Peaceful Way elim.
The daughter of Kadabra--All Time Favorite has recorded two wins and one third-place finish from five lifetime starts. She has banked $35,181 in earnings for trainer Philip Coole of Guelph, Ont., who also owns a piece of the bay with Donald Leschied of South Woodslee, Ont.
“She is a filly that is just starting to come into her own,” Waples said. “She maybe hasn’t shown quite as much as Witch Way has just yet, but she will follow all day so she should be OK if she gets the right kind of trip.”
The veteran driver feels her best quality is her power.
“She is pretty big and solid,” Waples noted. “She has got a lot of 'go' to her.”
On Friday, two-year-old trotters will contest a trio of $30,000 eliminations for the William Wellwood Memorial Stakes. The John Kopas trainee The Game Plan will headline Race 6.
The son of Kadabra--Image Control has found the winner’s circle four times from seven starts in his debut season. He has also added one second and one third-place finish and banked $150,800 in purses. The bay leads the Ontario Sires Stakes standing for freshman trotters with 187 Gold points and sits atop the standings with the highest OSS money earnings in his division with $142,300.
Kopas owns a piece of The Game Plan with Gary Grieve of Union, Ont., LLK Stable of Mississauga, Ont. and Anthony Wagner of Mississauga.
The Game Plan's regular pilot, Jack Moiseyev, will be in the sulky Friday when the gelding will start from Post 1 in hopes of making it to the $469,000 final, which will also be contested on September 17.
The top three finishers with one fourth-place finisher, drawn by lot, will advance to their respective finals, both of which will help comprise the stocked undercard for Canadian Trotting Classic Night. The connections of the elim winners may choose their charge's post positions for the final.
To view the entries for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday cards of live racing at Mohawk Racetrack, click the corresponding links which appear below.
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
Related Stories
(WEG)