The 4-5 favourite Corleone Kosmos dodged the worst of the mud and slop with a perfect front-end trip to take the first of two $50,000 eliminations for the $728,600 Maple Leaf Trot, tonight at a rain-soaked Mohawk Racetrack.
Arch Madness and trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer dogged the six-year-old son of S Js Photo through fractions of :27.0, :57.0 and 1:25.4, and Jody Jamieson made a bid on the outside with Armbro Continental, but could get no closer than Corleone Kosmos' wheel. In the stretch, John Campbell nudged Corleone Kosmos into another gear and the trotter sprinted away from his rivals to cross the wire more than two lengths to the good, in 1:53.
Arch Madness settled for second, with Armbro Continental taking the show spot.
Corleone Kosmos – Maple Leaf Trot Elim
Corleone Kosmos, who was third to Equinox Bi in last year's edition of the Maple Leaf Trot, is coming off another redemption-style victory in the Breeders' Crown Open Trot. This was his fifth win in 10 starts this season for trainer Darren McCall and owners Arthur Rudolph and Bernard Owen of Florida.
"He got everything his own way in the middle half, and that made him tough to collar," said Campbell. "When he walks around that middle half he's tough to catch. He's got two really good quarters, and sometimes a little more than that in him, and after the first quarter he got a bit of a rest. He sprinted home well within himself. It's a good prep for next week."
Campbell, who has been Corleone Kosmos' regular pilot since he was a three-year-old, noted, "I think this year has been his best year. He's been more consistent this year. He had a couple of issues there that he had to overcome at the Meadowlands and he's over that, and I think he's as good right now as he's been all year."
In the second Maple Leaf Trot elim, it was 10-1 shot, Armbro Chronicle, who overtook the tiring favourite, Enough Talk, to seize the victory in 1:53.1.
Abbey Road C (Keith Jones) and Enough Talk (Luc Ouellette) swapped places for the lead in the early going with Enough Talk settling on the front by the 3/8 pole. Abbey Road C tucked into the pocket spot with Armbro Chronicle and Mike Saftic cruising comfortably in fourth through a :56 half. Saftic moved Armbro Chronicle up to claim second as the field passed the three-quarter marker in 1:24.2, then moved off cover as Enough Talk began to fade, and quickly collared the favourite to win by one and a quarter lengths in the driving rain.
Digital Image (Trevor Ritchie) made a late rush to grab second with Improve AS (Tony Le Beller) third.
Armbro Chronicle – Maple Leaf Trot Elim
"The track suited him," said Saftic. "He wears a set of flip-flops, and it wasn't too hard and wasn't too soft for him. It was just to his liking. The track may fall apart later on, but so far, so good.
"I thought (Enough Talk) was the one to beat and I was happy to get on his back, but as we came out of the turn, you could feel Luc's horse was spent and he'd had enough. I was right on top of him, but I got lucky and got back out to get the job done. He beat a good bunch here and hopefully we'll have some luck in the final."
This was the sixth win in 23 starts this year for Armbro Chronicle, a six-year-old gelded son of Self Possessed who has been trained throughout his 124 start career by co-owner Kent Baker, of Coldwater, Ontario.
The top five finishers from each division of the Maple Leaf Trot elims will advance to next Saturday night's final, with the connections of both Armbro Chronicle and Corleone Kosmos winning the right to choose their post positions.
$728,600 Maple Leaf Trot Final
1. Colombian Necktie
2. Armbro Chronicle
3. Corleone Kosmos
4. Arch Madness
5. Digital Image
6. Armbro Continental
7. Enough Talk
8. Chick N Tell
9. Man About Town
10. Improve AS
Next Saturday an one-hour Maple Leaf Trot special will air on the Score starting at 9 p.m.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(With files from WEG)