Elimination mania hit Mohawk Racetrack on Friday evening as the Campbellville oval hosted a long list of talented trotters for the William Wellwood Memorial and the Elegantimage Stakes.
$35,000 Elegantimage Stakes Eliminations
The winning streak is now four-in-a-row and counting for Caprice Hill, who stormed home in :26.4 to capture her elimination in a career-best clocking of 1:52.4.
Randy Waples hustled Caprice Hill right to the lead from Post 6 and the Tony Alagna trainee successfully sliced out splits of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:26 before turning on the jets and leaving her foes in her dust. Celebrity Eventsy sat a pocket trip throughout and grabbed the runner-up award, while Emoticon Hanover came first-over and settled for the show dough.
The daughter of Kadabra-Bramasole now owns a 7-3-0 record from 10 starts this season for owner Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ont. The 14-time winner recently surpassed $1-million in career earnings.
Flowers N Songs won as she pleased in the second elimination for the duo of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Paul Reid.
Gingras got away fifth with the homebred while Side Bet Hanover threw down the first quarter in :27.3. Flowers N Songs tipped off the rail as the field headed into the backstretch, and she quickly powered to the top. She cruised past the half in :57 and then stormed by the three-quarter marker in 1:24.3 before kicking home in :28.4 to stop the clock in 1:53.2. Dream Child came on strong to be a lapped-on second, with Royal Charm rallying from last to finish third.
Bob Key of Leechburg, PA bred and owns the three-year-old daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe-Pleasures Song. Unraced as a rookie, Flowers N Songs has made up for lost time by manufacturing a 9-6-2 record from 23 starts this season. She’s stashed away more than $360,000 to date.
The top five finishers from each elimination advance to the rich final. Here's how they'll line up on the gate:
$436,000 Elegantimage Stakes Final
1. Emoticon Hanover
2. Worldclass Hanover
3. Flowers N Songs
4. Caprice Hill
5. Side Bet Hanover
6. Royal Charm
7. Dewdle All Day
8. Celebrity Eventsy
9. Dream Child
10. Tymal Tempest
$30,000 William Wellwood Memorial Eliminations
All eyes were on heavily-favoured Rubio in the first elimination, but a break behind the starting gate took him out of contention and left the door wide-open for another youngster to step up and score a major win.
That youngster was What The Hill, who posted an impressive victory in 1:55.4 for catch-driver Chris Christoforou. Trainer Ron Burke had to call a last-minute audible when programmed driver Brett Miller was stranded in the U.S. after plane issues grounded him along with fellow teamsters Dave Miller, John Campbell and Corey Callahan.
Christoforou got away fourth with the son of Muscle Hill- K T Cha Cha while Signal Hill marched to the lead and chopped out the first quarter in :28.4. As soon as the field hit the backstretch, Christoforou hit the throttle. What The Hill rocketed off the rail and rolled to the lead. He sliced out remaining splits of :58.3 and 1:27.4 before using a :27.4 kicker to fend off a determined Signal Hill. Third prize went to a hard-charging Jake.
The victory improved What The Hill’s record to 3-3-0 from seven starts for the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Our Horse Cents Stables, J And T Silva Stable LLC and Deo Volente Farms LLC. The $15,000 payday bumped the rookie’s earnings to $243,233.
It was a similar storyline in the second elimination as race favourite Victor Gio IT made a backstretch miscue, which turned out to be great news for Seven And Seven. The homebred turned a two-hole trip into a 1:56 victory for Team Durand.
Longshot Soho Hanover cut out fractions of :27.4, :58.2 and 1:27.3, but he couldn’t fend off the pocket-sitting Seven And Seven in the closing strides. Tom Durand urged his colt home in :28 to post the win by a length over King On The Hill and Soho Hanover.
Trainer Tom Durand co-owns the son of Chapter Seven-Alley Oop with his wife, June, and partner Allan Smith of Oakville, Ont. From six starts the colt has managed to assemble a 3-1-0 record while banking $51,768 in the process.
The top five finishers from each elimination advance to the rich final. Here's how they'll line up on the gate:
$350,000 William Wellwood Memorial
1. Real Lucky Day
2. Seven And Seven
3. What The Hill
4. King On The Hill
5. Victor Gio IT
6. Mountain Of Love
7. International Moni
8. Signal Hill
9. Jake
10. Soho Hanover
$30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace
Lady Shadow was an impressive winner in front-stepping fashion for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Adams.
The five-year-old daughter of Shadow Play-Lady Camella got award third, but she motored to the lead shortly after Delightful Hill sliced out the first quarter in :26. Once in charge of the speed, Lady Shadow zipped through middle panels of :54.2 and 1:22.3. A closing quarter in :27 earned her the comfortable win in 1:49.3 over Katie Said and the hard-closing Bedroomconfessions.
David Kryway, Carl Atley, Edwin Gold and BFJ Stable share ownership on the 23-time winner who improved this year’s record to 7-2-1 from 14 starts with the win. She’s closing in on $1.4 million in career earnings.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.