The majority of the hype – and pari-mutuel support – was given to Lazarus N in Saturday’s $600,000 Canadian Pacing Derby at Woodbine Mohawk Park, but Mcwicked rained on that foe’s parade.
Lazarus N, who was sent off at 1-5, got away third and sat behind Filibuster Hanover through an opening quarter in :26.4. Gingras hit the accelerator in the backstretch and powerfully brushed to the top. Lazarus N then hit the half in :55.1 before Mcwicked and driver David Miller came after him from first-over on the way to the three-quarter pole in 1:22.3. Mcwicked found another gear in the lane and used a :26.1 closing panel to win by 2-1/4 lengths over Lazarus N in 1:49. Split The House was third.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s a great race to win, a lot of tradition and a lot of money,” said driver David Miller. “You can’t take nothing away from him. A first-over grind into Lazarus, I wasn’t too confident around the last turn, but I got into the stretch and my horse felt really strong. I asked him, and he did the rest.”
Trainer Casie Coleman Herlihy finished second in the 2012 edition of the Canadian Pacing Derby with Betterthancheddar and was thrilled to go one better on this night.
“I’ve always wanted to win this race,” said Coleman. “I was second with Betterthancheddar once but was never able to win it. He’s [Mcwicked] been off a few weeks and I never told anybody but he’s coming off a quarter crack and that’s the reason he was scratched from the qualifier. When he was first over coming onto Lazarus, I wasn’t overly happy, but it worked out great. Dave said the scary part is how easy he did it. He said he was just absolutely phenomenal and had lots left.”
At age seven, Mcwicked is showing no signs of slowing down.
“He was great as a three-year-old and won everything I put him in pretty much,” recalled Coleman. “At four, it was a tough year for him. He made $200,000 but he didn’t have a win. I lost him for awhile and he came back, and he’s just been phenomenal the past couple years.
“It’s going to be a fun season," she added. "I was having fun without Lazarus N, it was a little bit easier competition. There’s going to be some exciting racing, we’re paid into everything and I’m sure he’s paid into everything. I’m sure we’ll see each other a lot coming up this summer,” said Coleman.
The runner-up finish by Lazarus N drops ‘The Wonder from Down Under’ to one for two in North America. The Pacing Derby was his first start since winning the Dan Patch at Hoosier Park on August 10.
“He raced good, just a little tired finishing,” said Gingras of Lazarus N’s performance. “He needs some racing. The other horse is a good horse and went a big mile and you’ve got to give him credit, but I think my horse needs a couple starts.”
The seven-year-old son of Mcardle-Western Sahara for Ed James’ S S G Stables of North Boston, NY. The 29-time winner has assembled a rock solid record of 7-2-1 from 11 starts this season, and in the process he’s pushed his lifetime earnings to $3,360,050.
Crazy Wow, piloted by Jody Jamieson, posted a barefoot 31-1 upset over favoured Marion Marauder in Saturday’s $651,000 Maple Leaf Trot.
Trained by Marcus Melander for owners Our Horse Cents Stables, Stable 45, J And T Silva Stables LLC and Deo Volente Farms LLC, the six-year-old son of Crazed was first off the gate and first when it mattered most in the Canadian classic.
Will Take Charge overtook the speedy Crazy Wow and Emoticon Hanover to make the quarter in :27.1 and the half in :55.1. Ariana G moved first over with Marion Marauder following her cover, but it was Crazy Wow, sitting second late in the turn, that had the most to offer down the lane to spring the upset in 1:51.1.
While the public was surprised, Jamieson, who previously won the Maple Leaf Trot in 2012 with Mister Herbie, was not.
“I thought I was even-money,” joked Jamieson when asked what he thought of his chances going into the race. “I talked to Marcus (Melander) and he said he was real confident in the horse. We actually hooked up jogging (in the warm ups) with St Lads Neptune and this horse, Crazy Wow, and he said, ‘look at him. Look how happy he is.’ I couldn’t argue with him, the horse looked amazingly happy. When the horse saw the gate tonight he was just a different animal.”
Although it was Jamieson’s first time piloting the six-year-old, the veteran driver performed with confidence.
“I’ve watched him race plenty of times, but I didn’t realize what kind of horse he was,” said Jamieson. “That was a big trip tonight and he made it look real easy. I wasn’t sure I was going to get through. Around the last turn, I was following what I figured was the best horse in the race, Will Take Charge,” added Jamieson. “And with Ariana G out there I figured maybe I’m going to be third, maybe at the very worst, and a little slim lane opened up and I jammed myself through there like I get in trouble sometimes for doing, but he just trotted right through there. Once I got through there clean it was never in doubt that he was going to win.”
Melander made the key decision to pull Crazy Wow’s shoes for the lucrative final.
“I’ve been thinking about that since I got the horse eight weeks ago,” said Melander. “We trained him our way and then he qualified good at Pocono. He was a little short last week, of course, after just one qualifier after eight weeks break. We were actually supposed to race barefoot last week, but there were two scratches in the race and we only had to beat one horse, so we kept the shoes on and saved the feet on him. The track was amazing today and it was an easy decision.”
Like Jamieson, Melander approached the Maple Leaf Trot final with confidence noting that he wasn’t surprised at all with the winning effort.
“Not really when we got the one-hole. He showed that he’s been beating these horses before and the horse felt so sharp going into the race,” offered Melander. “He needed a race last week and I was very happy with him this week and he warmed up great. I know he has an extra gear when I pull the shoes, that’s for sure.”
Crazy Wow, bred by Peter Pan Stables Inc. of Ohio, paid $64.20 to win.
Here's a recap of what transpired on the undercard:
$169,183 Simcoe Stakes – Three-Year-Old Open Trot
Mets Hall matched his lifetime mark and just missed equalling the stakes record with his 1:52 triumph for Team Miller.
The son of Cantab Hall-Mets Inn fired to the lead from Post 7 and had the field chasing him past the opening quarter in :27.2. He gave way to Alarm Detector in the backstretch, and that O’Brien Award winner then coughed up the top to Lawmaker at the mid-way point in :55.3. Lawmaker was still in charge at the three-quarter pole in 1:24.1, but he gave way in the late going. Mets Hall shook loose in the lane and stormed home in :27.1 to win by 3-3/4 lengths over Run Director. Missle Hill was third.
“I wasn’t sure how it would unfold, but I knew I’d be going forward off the gate and sitting up close,” said driver Andy Miller. “When I got room in the lane there, he just shot by them. He likes to be up close. Usually when he comes off the last turn, he’s going to trot home. Ever since the Hambo, he’s really showed up and done what we thought he would.”
Julie Miller trains the colt, who was sent off as the even-money favourite. The eight-time winner pushed his lifetime earnings to $807,690 for New Jersey-based partners, Stroy Inc and Andy Miller Stable Inc.
$95,600 O.S.S. Gold Series – 1st Division Three-Year-Old Colt Pace
Backstreet Shadow lived up the 1-5 hype by turning in a 1:49.2 victory for the team of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Richard Moreau.
The speedy son of Shadow Play-Backstreet Sweetie got away third before quarter pole-moving to the lead in the backstretch. After watching the first quarter flash up in :27.2, he sliced out middle splits of :55.3 and 1:23 before rocketing home in :26.2. He defeated the late-driving Levis Day and Sharp Action Money.
Ali, who was trailing as the field entered the stretch, fell when beginning a rally from the backfield. He got out of gear and fell, and when he did he ejected trainer/driver Patrick Lachance from the racebike.
The horse got up on his own power afterward, but Lachance was injured in the mishap and was transported to nearby hospital. Trot Insider has learned Lachance suffered a broken leg and will require surgery. Please join Standardbred Canada in wishing Patrick a speedy recovery.
As for Backstreet Shadow, he improved his 2018 record to 5-2-1 from 10 tries with the victory. He's racked up close to $120,000 to date for owners Lindsey & Connie Rankin of Lexington, MI.
$95,600 O.S.S. Gold Series – 2nd Division Three-Year-Old Colt Pace
The Downtown Bus brushed to the front in the backstretch and never looked back en route to a career-best clocking of 1:49.3 for the team of driver Tim Tetrick and Jeff Gillis.
The son of Mach Three-Slimsplace watched Yacht Seelster toss out an opening quarter in :27 before teeing off in the backstretch. Tetrick reached the lead with The Downtown Bus and from there they sped through middle panels of :55.1 and 1:22.4. A :26.4 closing quarter earned the gelding the win by three lengths over race favourite St Lads Neptune. Yacht Seelster took home the show dough.
After an 0-for-7 rookie season, The Downtown Bus now owns a 2018 record of 7-3-5 from 18 tries. Jeff Gillis and Ellen Ott share ownership on the homebred who lifted his lifetime earnings to $197,099.
$34,000 Preferred Pace
Te Kawau N was treated to a sweet, two-hole trip in his climb to the top class at Mohawk Park, and the gelding parlayed that trip into a 1:50.1 triumph for driver Jody Jamieson.
Always A Hotshot roared to the lead and kicked out early fractions of :26.3 and :55.2. Te Kawau N angled to the outside just before the three-quarter pole flashed up in 1:23, and from there he used a :27-second closing quarter to win by a half-length margin over American Wiggle. Rockin Heaven also came up a half-length short in finishing third.
Sent off at odds of 8-1 for trainer Anthony Montini, the eight-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Haylin Express celebrated his 25th lifetime victory. Albina Montini, Bill Rogers, Kwong Sum Low and Vincent Albanese share ownership on the career winner of $434,404.
(With files from Woodbine Mohawk Park)
To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Prayers for Patrick Lachance
Prayers for Patrick Lachance