Elimination Mania At Mohawk

Published: June 4, 2013 11:24 pm EDT

If you’re planning on heading to Mohawk Racetrack this weekend, you’re in for a wild weekend of elimination racing. The Campbellville oval will roll out the red carpet for the sport’s brightest stars in both the pacing and trotting ranks.

Eliminations for the Pepsi North America Cup headline Saturday’s program, but they’ll be accompanied by a slew of other exciting events.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s taking place during the Friday and Saturday evening cards at Mohawk:

Friday, June 7

$35,000 Elegantimage Eliminations

The top two fillies from last season – O’Brien Award winner Bee A Magician and Dan Patch Award winner To Dream On – will clash for the first time this season in the first of two Elegantimage Eliminations.

Bee A Magician, who went 10-for-13 last season, is a perfect 3-for-3 to start her sophomore campaign thanks to her sweep of the Ontario SBOA Stake and last weekend’s divisional win in the Casual Breeze Stakes. The Kadabra miss, who boasts a bankroll that stands at $888,520, has drawn Post 2 for trainer ‘Nifty’ Norman and driver Rick Zeron.

She’ll spar with To Dream On, who starts from Post 4 in what will be her second start of the year. She made a late break in her elimination of last weekend’s Empire Breeders Classic at Vernon Downs en route to finishing seventh. Yannick Gingras will drive the daughter of Credit Winner for trainer Jimmy Takter. She went 8-for-9 and banked $719,377 last year.

The second elimination features Shared Past, who is 2-for-2 to start the season for trainer Jonas Czernyson. The daughter of Chocolatier will enter Friday evening’s assignment fresh off a 1:53.4 score in the $150,000 NJSS Final at The Meadowlands on June 1. Yannick Gingras is scheduled to drive the filly, and together they’ll get to work from Post 7.

$35,000 Armbro Flight Eliminations

O’Brien Award winner China Pearls will try to find her 'mojo' from Post 1 in the first elimination for trainer Carman Hie and driver Randy Waples, but it won’t be easy considering she’ll face the likes of the defending Armbro Flight Stakes champ Pembroke Heat Wave (Post 10 – Doug McNair) and last year’s Hambletonian Oaks winner Personal Style (Post 3 – David Miller), among others.

Maven, who set a track record at Woodbine and tied the Canadian record for older trotting mares with her 1:52 win on May 20 in a leg of the Miss Versatility Series, will look to keep the ball rolling for trainer Jonas Czernyson and driver Yannick Gingras. The four-year-old daughter of Glidemaster went 8-for-15 last season, and she couldn’t have been any more dominant than she was in last week’s first start of the year.

She’ll take on some tough foes including Beatgoesonhanover, who leaves from Post 3 for driver David Miller and trainer ‘Nifty Norman’. The five-year-old Andover Hall miss also won her leg of the Miss Versatility at Woodbine Racetrack on May 20, but she wasn’t as fortunate in her next outing when she ran into a buzz saw named Market Share at The Meadowlands. She’ll look to bounce back and add to her seven-figure bankroll.

Saturday, June 8

$30,000 Goodtimes Eliminations

A group of seven will face the starting gate for the first of two eliminations, and Hamdalla will look to keep the ball rolling for trainer/driver Riina Rekila. The three-year-old son of Taurus Dream, who will start from Post 2, got into some road trouble in the final of this year’s Tie Silk Series on May 9. He made a break in tight quarters that night and wound up finishing eighth. He resurfaced just over two weeks later, however, and rallied to an impressive win versus conditioned foes in 1:54.1. He’s put together a 5-for-8 record this year after going 2-for-7 during last year’s rookie season.

Speedballs Caveat Emptor and Rossini will go at in the second elimination. Rossini (Post 1 – John Campbell) has assembled a 4-for-7 record this season, and he qualified in 1:54.3 at The Meadowlands on May 31 in preparation for Saturday’s assignment. He’ll square off with Caveat Emptor (Post 7 – Ray Schnittker), who was a 1:54.3 winner in come-from-behind fashion at The Meadowlands on May 31 in an overnight event. The son of Deweycheatumnhowe put away more than $190,000 in earnings last season

$35,000 Fan Hanover Elimination

Some fantastic fillies will go toe-to-toe in the lone elimination including Belle Boyd (Post 4 – Jody Jamieson), who is a perfect 7-for-7 this season for trainer Carl Jamieson. The daughter of Art Major has already swept the Blossom Series and more recently the Princess Series after going just 1-for-11 last year.

She’ll take on the likes of last season’s Shes A Great Lady champ Iluvthenitelife (Post 6 – Tim Tetrick) and this year’s Ontario SBOA winner Love Canal (Post 9 - Doug McNair).

The top nine finishers from Saturday’s elimination will join Jerseylicious, who accepted a bye, in next Saturday’s final.

To view entries for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday entries – Mohawk Racetrack.

To view entries for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday entries – Mohawk Racetrack.

Tags
Have something to say about this? Log in or create an account to post a comment.