The $890,000 Metro Pace for two-year-old pacers headlines a $1.9 million card this Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The $590,000 Shes A Great Lady for two-year-old pacing fillies and the $255,000 Milton Stakes for pacing mares will also take place on Saturday’s stakes card.
This year’s Metro Pace purse of $890,000 will be the third-highest purse for a horse race in Canada during 2018, trailing only the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup and $1 million Queen’s Plate.
The undefeated Captain Ahab (PP4) will be looking to repeat history for his trainer Tony Alagna and sire Captaintreacherous. The $100,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase is seven for seven and the looking to mimic his sire, who won the 2012 Metro Pace in a stakes record-equalling 1:49.2.
Driver Andrew McCarthy will sit behind Captain Ahab, the 9-5 morning-line choice, searching for the biggest win of his career. The 32-year-old driver from Down Under has 2,092 wins and $35 million in career earnings.
Captain Ahab captured his elimination last Saturday in 1:50.4 by rushing to the top in the second-quarter from fourth and pacing a :55.4 back-half (:28 final-quarter) to secure the victory.
The Metro Pace has been the target for trainer Alagna with Captain Ahab, who arrived at Mohawk Park in late-July for the Dream Maker and will be making his sixth start at the Campbellville oval on Saturday.
Trainer Casie Coleman will be searching for her second Metro title on Saturday with Bettors Delight colt Stag Party (PP3).
A $125,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase, Stag Party came first-up in his elimination and powered to a career-best 1:51 victory. The Ontario sired standout has won five of seven starts heading into the Metro.
Coleman’s first Metro victory came back in 2009 with Sportswriter, who established a new event record of 1:49.2.
Driver David Miller, who earlier this week captured his fifth Little Brown Jug, will sit behind Stag Party and is seeking his first Metro title.
Stag Party, a winner of $197,489, is owned by John Fielding, Mac Nichol, McKinlay & Fielding and West Wins Stable.
The $890,000 Metro Pace has been carded as Race 9.
Saturday night could be a big night for the duo of McCarthy and Alagna, who also team up with 3-1 morning-line choice Tall Drink Hanover (PP4) in the $590,000 Shes A Great Lady.
A daughter of Captaintreacherous, Tall Drink Hanover paced home in :26.3 to win her elimination in a career-best 1:51.2. The $35,000 Harrisburg yearling buy has won four of seven starts, including a division of the Eternal Camnation and final of the Whenuwishuponastar Series.
Alagna will send a power trio in the Shes A Great Lady, as Tall Drink Hanover joins Treacherous Reign (PP1, Yannick Gingras) and Odds On St Lucie (PP8, Brett Miller).
Ideation Hanover is the other elimination winner in Saturday’s final and will start from post-two for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Dave Menary.
A daughter of Bettors Delight, Ideation Hanover converted off a two-hole trip for a 10-1 upset in 1:51.2. The $50,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase has never missed the board in eight starts, reaching the winner’s circle three-times.
The Shes A Great Lady, featuring a field of nine, is carded as Race 5.
Rookie pacers won’t be the only stars Saturday, as a deep field of 10 pacing mares will duel in the $255,000 Milton Stakes.
Sticking with the trend from the rookie events, McCarthy will drive another morning-line favourite in the Milton, sitting behind dominating elimination winner Caviart Ally (PP5).
Trained by Noel Daley, Caviart Ally went coast-to-coast in her elimination for a career-best 1:48.3 victory. The daughter of Bettors Delight is five for 13 this season and is inching towards $1 million in career earnings.
The Milton final doesn’t expect to be a walk in the park for Caviart Ally, as the field also includes stars Tequila Monday (PP2, B. Miller), Nike Franco N (PP3, Matt Kakaley), L A Delight (PP4, Randy Waples), Bettors Up (PP6, Doug McNair) and Pure Country (PP10, Gingras).
The Milton Stakes has been carded as Race 7.
Post time for the Metro Pace card is 7:10 p.m.
(Woodbine Mohawk Park)