Well Said and Scottie C were the top two-year-old pacers tonight at Mohawk Racetrack, scoring a pair of 1:52.2 victories in their Champlain Stakes divisions worth over $160,000 a piece.
With a spectacular five-wide move, Well Said bounced back from a fourth-place finish in the Metro Stakes last week, to score the first division of the $162,454 Champlain Stakes.
Ron Pierce guided the freshman son of Western Hanover to the 1 1/2-length victory in 1:52.2 for trainer Steve Elliott, and owners Jeffrey Snyder of New York and Lothlorien of Cheltenham.
Straight Shooting was second, three-quarters of length in front of 76-1 longshot Shipps Xpectancy.
Well Said - Champlain
Seventh for the first three quarters of the trip behind fractions of :26.1, :55.2 and 1:24.3, Pierce sent Well Said toward the leaders, but met a wall of horses on the inside paths. Swung four-wide on the turn and five-wide in the lane, the bay colt began picking off horses, emerging with the lead late to earn his third career victory.
Well Said also has two seconds in seven starts for career earnings of over $193,000.
"He showed me during the baby races that he was a special colt," said Pierce. "I expect big things out of him."
He returned $3.70, $2.40, $2.30 across the board and combined with Straight Shooting ($3.10, $3.20) for a $9.90 exactor. Shipps Xpectancy paid $10.20 to show and rounded out the $146.30 triactor. Vintage Master wrapped up the $422.85 superfecta.
Scottie C enjoyed a textbook front-end trip to score in the second $160,454 division.
When 4-5 favourite, Carnivore, rolled off-stride at the half-mile marker, no one else came after Tim Tetrick and Scottie C, who had stepped smartly to the front off the gate with Allamerican Improv and John Campbell following. As the field entered the stretch, Campbell made a brief bid for the lead, but couldn't surpass Scottie C, who paced on to victory in a new lifetime best of 1:52.2.
Allamerican Improv grabbed second and Count On Art (Mark MacDonald) moved up for third.
Scottie C - Champlain
It was the second career victory in six lifetime starts for Scottie C, a homebred son of Matts Scooter who is owned and trained by Chuck Campbell of Blissfield, Michigan. The win more than doubled his career earnings.
"He's got a lot of go to him," said Tetrick. "Last week (in the Metro Pace) he was a little wild and I had to wrestle him off. We were just racing for a cheque. This week we were in a better spot with a little softer company, and he proved that he could go with them.
"He relaxed good when he got to the front, and loose-lined down the back side. Around the turn I was wondering where Ronnie (Pierce, with Carnivore) was and I had John (Campbell) on my back, but I just let him keep rambling and he kept pacing all the way to the wire."
Tetrick, who enjoyed a very solid night at the office, also confirmed that he will be driving Crazed in next week's $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic. The phenom linesman had the option of steering Celebrity Secret, who finished second in his CTC elimination to Clerk Magistrate.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(With files from WEG)