“He could be as good as anything I’ve trained, from what I can tell right now. He does it all very easy. He moves very easy; he’s not pushing himself to do what he’s doing. And he’s very easy on himself in the barn."
Deweylovernleaver heads to Friday’s eliminations for the William Wellwood Memorial for two-year-old male trotters at Mohawk Racetrack with a three-race win streak, not to mention the admiration of trainer/co-owner Chris Beaver.
“He doesn’t do anything wrong. He’s a very complete horse all the way around,” said Beaver.
Deweylovernleaver, who has won three of five races for owners Beaver, Synerco Ventures Inc. and Leo Fleming, is in the first of two seven-horse Wellwood eliminations on Friday. He will be driven by Trevor Henry and is 9-1 on the morning line.
Brooklyn Hill, who has finished second to Southwind Frank in three consecutive starts, including the Peter Haughton Memorial, is the 9-5 favourite in the division. David Miller will drive the colt for trainer Jonas Czernyson. Interestingly, Millstream Inc., which is Czernyson and his wife Christine, is the breeder of Deweylovernleaver.
Southwind Frank is the 1-5 favourite in the second Wellwood elimination. He has won six of seven races this year for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.
The Beaver-trained Smoke Monkey is also in the second division. He is 20-1.
The top five finishers from each elimination advance to the $373,000 final on Sept. 19 at Mohawk.
Deweylovernleaver is a son of stallion Deweycheatumnhowe out of the mare Solovesick. Beaver bought the colt for $12,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. He finished third in his debut and fourth in his next start, when he was beaten by only a half-length despite racing on the outside for most of the mile. Since then, Deweylovernleaver has won three in a row on the Ontario Sires Stakes circuit, leading the provincial point standings for the division.
“He wasn’t getting great trips his first few starts; Trevor was taking it easy with him off the gate,” Beaver said. “He had a tendency to grab on a little bit, so he was teaching him to race off the pace. His last few races he’s gotten right into it and had it his way.”
Deweylovernleaver, who has earned $88,046 in purses, was scratched from a division of the Champlain Stakes on Sept. 4 at Mohawk because of illness.
“We didn’t want to take a chance,” Beaver said.
Smoke Monkey, a son of Majestic Son out of the mare Nashotah, has two wins in seven starts and is owned by Synerco Ventures. He went off stride in two consecutive Ontario Sires Stakes, but has since posted a win, two seconds and a third in four starts. He has earned $46,434 overall.
“We had a little trouble with him going in a straight line,” Beaver said about Smoke Monkey, who was purchased under the name Sals Son for $9,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. “He was kind of a snaky horse, but very talented. I’ve got him rigged straight right now and he’s staying off himself and trotting right now.”
Beaver was looking at a different yearling when he spotted Smoke Monkey at the sale.
“I was looking at something and he walked by and caught my attention,” Beaver said. “I watched his video and the video was really good. The dam hadn’t produced anything yet, but I saw it was a different cross than the mare had seen before. I just liked the looks of him. I wouldn’t say he’s a fantastic looking horse, but he’s better than average.”
In addition to the two Wellwood eliminations, Mohawk on Friday hosts two eliminations for the Elegantimage Stakes for three-year-old female trotters. Mission Brief is the 1-5 morning line favourite in the second division, with Gingras driving for Burke, and Wild Honey is the 8-5 choice in the first division, with Gingras at the lines for trainer Jimmy Takter.
The top five finishers from each elimination advance to the $404,000 final on Sept. 19.
Mission Brief, who finished second in the Hambletonian Stakes, has won five of seven races this year. Wild Honey has won four of nine races this season, including the Hambletonian Oaks.
Beaver’s Smokinmombo is 8-1 in the first elimination. A daughter of Explosive Matter-Horizontal Mombo, she won four of her first six starts this year before finishing fifth in her Hambletonian Oaks elimination and seventh in the final. She has a win and a third in three starts since then.
“She was getting a little sore in a stifle, getting a little out of rhythm,” Beaver said. “I think she lost her confidence a little bit. She’s very sound now, but I had to snug the hobbles back tight on her to get her confidence back. It took her a few trainings and starts to have it come back together for her.
“We drew pretty tough [Friday]. Mission Brief isn’t in there, but everything else is pretty good in that race.”
Following are the fields for the Wellwood eliminations in post order with drivers, trainers and morning line odds.
Elimination One: 1. Deep Impact, Steve Condren, Brad Maxwell, 5-1; 2. Frankly Speaking, Randy Waples, Mark Steacy, 12-1; 3. Deweylovernleaver, Trevor Henry, Chris Beaver, 9-1; 4. Will Take Charge, James MacDonald, John Bax, 7-1; 5. Brooklyn Hill, David Miller, Jonas Czernyson, 9-5; 6. Tony Soprano, John Campbell, Bob McIntosh, 9-2; 7. Lean Hanover, Paul MacDonell, Mike Keeling, 3-1.
Elimination Two: 1. Im A Mate, Don Dupont, Marie Dupont, 20-1; 2. Willyorwonthe, Mike Saftic, William Megens, 15-1; 3. Southwind Frank, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, 1-5; 4. Marion Marauder, John Campbell, Mike Keeling, 6-1; 5. Adored By Masses, Sylvain Filion, Erv Miller, 10-1; 6. Zlatan, Jimmy Takter, Jimmy Takter, 10-1; 7. Smoke Monkey, Trevor Henry, Chris Beaver, 20-1.
Following are the fields for the Elegantimage eliminations in post order with drivers, trainers and morning line odds.
Elimination One: 1. Wild Honey, Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter, 8-5; 2. Juanitas Fury, Paul MacDonell, John Bax, 15-1; 3. Tymal Illbthere, Mario Baillargeon, Ervin Abdulov, 20-1; 4. Gatka Hanover, Tim Tetrick, Ron Burke, 7-1; 5. Smokinmombo, Aaron Merriman, Chris Beaver, 8-1; 6. Elegant Serenity, Roger Mayotte, Roger Mayotte, 7-2; Bee The Queen, John Campbell, George Ducharme, 15-1; 8. Muscle Baby Doll, Doug McNair, Tony O’Sullivan, 5-2.
Elimination Two: 1. Mission Brief, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, 1-5; 2. Speak To Me, Jimmy Takter, Jimmy Takter, 5-1; 3. Danielle Hall, Jody Jamieson, Carl Jamieson, 10-1; 4. Magic Marker, Tim Tetrick, R. Nifty Norman, 15-1; 5. Stubborn Belle, Paul MacDonell, John Bax, 20-1; 6. Piscean, Jack Moiseyev, Clark Beelby, 20-1; 7. You’re Majestic, Sylvain Filion, Tony O’Sullivan, 15-1; 8. Amoureuse Hanover, Mike Saftic, Brian Peterson, 20-1.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.