The Somebeachsomewhere Stakes and Graduate Series will take place this Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park to kick off a spectacular month of Grand Circuit action.
A group of 16 three-year-old pacing colts and geldings have been split into a pair of $85,000 divisions for the Somebeachsomewhere. The Graduate Series for four-year-old pacers and trotters will feature two $99,000 contests with large fields.
The Somebeachsomewhere (formerly Burlington) is annually the final prep for many sophomore pacers on their way to the Pepsi North America Cup. The Somebeachsomewhere Stakes has served as a prep for two of the last three Pepsi North America Cup champions -- Betting Line (2016) and Lather Up (2018).
Dr. Ian Moore trainee Century Farroh (PP3, Sylvain Filion) leads the opening division of the Somebeachsomewhere. The son of Mach Three is a perfect three for three this season and comes in off a stunning eight-lengths score in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold division last Saturday.
Century Farroh, who has won seven of 13 career starts, is no stranger to blowout victories. The Moore student capped off his rookie season with a victory of over seven-lengths in the OSS Grassroots Championship.
The first division also features multiple-Grand Circuit winner Captain Trevor (PP2, Andrew McCarthy) from the Tony Alagna barn and a pair of Casie Coleman trainees in Better Up (PP5, David Miller) and Quatrain Blue Chip (PP7, Louis Philippe Roy).
The second division promises to be quite the showdown with several prominent sophomores clashing in the early-season Grand Circuit event.
Linda Toscano trainee Best In Show (PP4, Bob McClure) delivered a major statement last Saturday with a 1:50.3 victory in an OSS Gold division. The son of Bettors Delight-Put On A Show raced just three times as a rookie and enters the Somebeachsomewhere on a two-race win streak.
O’Brien Award winner Stag Party (PP8, David Miller) finished third to Best In Show in his season debut last weekend. The Casie Coleman trainee will be looking to build momentum for the mid-June classic and is reuniting with driver David Miller, who steered him to victory in last summer’s Metro Pace.
The second Somebeachsomewhere split also features the return of Captain Ahab to Mohawk Park. The Captaintreacherous colt won seven of nine starts as a rookie (five of them at Mohawk) and most-recently rallied from seventh to finish third in his season debut at The Meadowlands.
Local standouts Bronx Seelster (PP6, Trevor Henry) and Tyga Hanover (PP7, Sylvain Filion) will also compete in the deep second division. Wayne McGean trainee Bronx Seelster finished second to Best In Show in his season debut last Saturday, while Ben Baillargeon student Tyga Hanover is riding a two-race win streak.
The Somebeachsomewhere Stakes will feature 13 Pepsi North America Cup eligible sophomores. The divisions have been carded as Races 3 and 6 on Saturday’s 11-race card.
The star power is bright in Saturday’s Graduate Series, which features the top four-year-old pacers and trotters. The trotting side features a field of 10, while the pacing side has a field of 12.
Superstar Atlanta (PP4, Yannick Gingras) headlines the trotting contest as one of three mares in the field. The Ron Burke trainee will make her second start of the season. Last year’s Hambletonian champion won her season debut in a dazzling 1:50.4 on May 6 at Miami Valley before being scratched from the first leg of the Graduate on May 18.
A daughter of Chapter Seven, Atlanta sports career numbers of 13 wins and $1.2 million in earnings. She did fail to find the winner’s circle in three starts last season at Mohawk.
Atlanta’s rival Manchego (PP8, Scott Zeron) will make her season debut in Saturday’s contest. The daughter of Muscle Hill will be making her first start for trainer Nancy Johansson after successful two- and three-year-old seasons in the care of Johansson's Hall of Fame father, Jimmy Takter.
Manchego, who has qualified three times this season, won seven of 14 starts last season and holds career totals of 19 wins and $1.6 million earned in 26 starts.
The Graduate Series pacing division has Race of the Year potential, as an overflow field of 12 will clash. The list of stars in the field includes Lather Up, Dorsoduro Hanover, Jimmy Freight and Courtly Choice.
Although he is trained south of the border, Lather Up (PP1, Jody Jamieson) is a big fan of racing at Mohawk. The Clyde Francis trainee won last Saturday’s Preferred to remain undefeated in five starts at the Milton oval.
Award-winners Jimmy Freight (PP5, Roy) and Dorsoduro Hanover (PP2, Gingras) will each make their first starts since finishing second and third in the Confederation Cup. Blake MacIntosh trainee Courtly Choice (PP11, Miller) is coming in hot after a 1:49.1 victory in a $100,000 invitational on Sunday at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Courtly Choice and Lather Up each won first leg divisions of the Graduate on May 4 at The Meadowlands.
The Graduate Series divisions have been carded as Races 5 and 7.
Saturday’s card will also feature three OSS Gold Series divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies. Total purses for the 11-race card is $662,800.
First race post time is 7:10 p.m. To view entries for Saturday's card, click one of the following links:
► Saturday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park
► Saturday Program Pages - Woodbine Mohawk Park (courtesy TrackIT)
(with files from Woodbine)