MILTON, September 14, 2024 – Saturday night’s stakes-filled card at Woodbine Mohawk Park was all about setting the table for next Saturday’s (September 21) richest night in Canadian harness racing.
The eliminations for the Metro Pace, Canadian Trotting Classic, Shes A Great Lady and Elegantimage all took place.
Metro Pace
Captain Optimistic (Captaintreacherous) and Fallout (Captaintreacherous) grabbed the ultimate momentum for next Saturday’s $1 million Metro Pace with victories in Saturday’s eliminations.
A pair of $40,000 eliminations were contested, with the top-five finishers from each advancing.
Captain Optimistic was the final horse to the lead after an opening-half front-end shuffle and never looked back for a 1:50.2 score.
Driven by Yannick Gingras for trainer Nancy Takter, Captain Optimistic got away fourth and was quickly moving in the second-quarter, overtaking Papis Pistol to hit the half in :56.
After pacing a comfortable :28 third-quarter, Captain Optimistic faced a challenge from Prince Hal Hanover down the lane, turning that rival aside with a :26.2 kicker to secure the victory by a length and a half.
Prince Hal Hanover, Papis Pistol, Strangerinthenight and Blue Onyx completed the top-five.
CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC REPLAY
Captain Optimistic is now five for six in his rookie season and has earned over $160,000 for owners 3 Brothers Stables, Marvin Katz and Caviart Farms.
“They weren’t going much and that made my decision there,” said Gingras about moving Captain Optimistic to the lead. “He is so much better off a helmet. First couple times I raced him off a helmet he just exploded home. I personally like him that way, but in this situation it’s so important to win the elimination. Now you’re guaranteed posts two through six…I value it a lot.”
Captain Optimistic paid $2.90 to win.
Fallout sat a perfect two-hole trip and came up the inside in the lane to draw away for a stunning 1:49.3 victory in the second $40,000 elimination.
Driven by Tim Tetrick, Fallout left quickly from post-two and got right behind the heavy-favourite Swingtown, who was a charged-up leader at the quarter in :26.4. The leader was able to back things down for a :28.4 second-split before a :27.2 third-quarter.
Watching patiently from the two-hole, Fallout rocketed up the inside after Fallout drifted out and pulled away strongly for the sub-1:50 score. Banderas got by Fallout for second, while TH Kay C Crunch was fourth and Brigade fifth to make the final.
“I’ve loved him right along,” said Tetrick of Fallout. “He’s raced good every time, he’s just got caught in a couple world record miles and today he got a really good spot and he performed great.
“My whole intention was not to even pull him and just follow (Swingtown) around there and try to have him raging for the final. I looked up and I had more go than he did and the rail opened up and he shot right through easy.”
FALLOUT REPLAY
Trained by Tony Alagna, Fallout is now two for seven with $90,000-plus earned for owners Robert Leblanc, Pryde Stables and Caviart Farms. He will be the leader of four horses for Alagna in next Saturday’s $1 million final.
Fallout paid $17.50 to win.
The post positions for the Metro Pace, Mohawk Million and Canadian Trotting Classic will be drawn Monday evening at 6:15 p.m. on the Woodbine simulcast show.
Canadian Trotting Classic
Decisive chalks cashed in the two $40,000 Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations, with 2-5 choice Highland Kismet (Father Patrick) and 1-5 choice Sir Pinocchio (Mets Hall) winning their respective eliminations.
Highland Kismet cleared control out of post 8 and trotted strongly through to a 1:51.1 win in the first Canadian Trotting Classic elimination.
Leaving from post 8, driver Bob McClure steadily sent Highland Kismet forward and grabbed the lead from Security Protected past a :27.3 first quarter. He rolled up the backstretch and registered a :55.4 half coasting.
“I’m embarrassed to admit – I thought I got the front and shut down a 30-second quarter,” McClure said after the race. “I really did. He’s so big and strong [that] he doesn’t feel like he’s going that fast.”
Highland Kismet clicked past three-quarters in 1:24 and held his ground through the lane as Security Protected tried a late challenge to the inside but finished second best, beaten a length. Amazing Catch finished third another four lengths behind with Gruesome Twosome and Private Access earning the remaining spots into the final.
“Even as good as he is, you don’t know how much you have left and I didn’t even ask him,” McClure said. “He just took off. Kicked home, trotted through the wire and didn’t want to pull up.”
HIGHLAND KISMET REPLAY
Mark Etsell trains Highland Kismet, a homebred gelding for Highland Thoroughbred Farm. He won his seventh race from 11 starts, has now earned $603,085 and paid $2.90 to win.
Sir Pinocchio led nearly every step of the second Canadian Trotting Classic elimination to stop the clock in 1:52.2.
Driver Jason Bartlett planted Sir Pinocchio onto the point moving to a :28 first quarter and received plenty of respect on the front with no challengers looming to a :57.3 half. Though off that dawdle, Flying Kronos S pulled first over from third to try and challenge, but Sir Pinocchio promptly responded and opened ground to three-quarters in 1:25.1.
He built a wide lead into the stretch that dwindled as Paquet powered from a second-over trip into contention late. Sir Pinocchio reengaged as Paquet drew closer to the finish and kept a one length advantage over the line. Flying Kronos S held third from Caballero in fourth, and Myretirementdream finished fifth.
“When he gets out there by himself, he gets looking around and not really paying attention,” Jason Bartlett said after the race. “I knew we were pretty good off the last turn. When we drew off, I know what he does – he gets running out, waiting for horses. We’ve always known he’s a really good horse. He has a lot of speed and we’re always forced to put him on the front, but he’s way better off a helmet.”
SIR PINOCCHIO REPLAY
Ed Hart trains Sir Pinocchio, a homebred gelding for owner Carolyn Atherton. He won his ninth race from 14 starts this season and added to his bankroll now worth $791,060. He paid $2.70 to win.
Shes A Great Lady
Chantilly (Big Jim) and Cant See Me (Captaintreacherous) both delivered as short prices in their respective $35,000 eliminations for the Shes A Great Lady.
In the first elimination, Cant See Me popped pocket to score as the 8-5 second choice in a 1:51.3 mile.
Driver Bob McClure settled for a seat behind revved up My Sweet Lily, who muscled through a clip of :27.2, :56.4 and 1:25.1 before evening into the stretch. McClure gave Cant See Me racetrack in the lane and kicked clear to a 1-1/2-length win over Cowgirl Hanover while My Sweet Lily held third from Treacheryinthedark. Papis Opinion rounded the top five.
“She ended up being a little sick [in the Whenuwishuponastar]. That was a minor hiccup [and] she’s been perfect ever since,” McClure said. “I don’t think there’s any downside trip to her. She’s just a very smart, professional filly and getting stronger every week, too.”
CANT SEE ME REPLAY
Shawn Steacy trains Cant See Me for owner Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. She won her fourth race from six starts, has now earned $123,811 and paid $5.20 to win.
Chantilly extended her undefeated streak to six wins with a wrapped-up 1:50.4 win as the 1-5 choice in the second elimination.
Away third to a :27.1 first quarter, driver James MacDonald let Chantilly roll to the top moving up the backside and crossed to command before a :55.3 half. She had the race locked from there, clocking three-quarters in 1:24 and hitting the accelerator in the lane until MacDonald shut her down in the last eighth. The Last Martini rallied to finish second, beaten a length, while Lily White Hanover, Nice Buns and Tall Dark Lady earned the remaining spots to the final.
“I never try to stretch them out too much training, but she did everything so easy,” trainer Nick Gallucci said after the race. “She hurt herself a little bit in the field, so she was always a little bit behind the group. But anytime you asked her, she caught back up and [she] continues to improve.
“I’ve never had one get this good this early, maybe this good ever,” Gallucci also said. “We’ll just hold our breath and hopefully she continues.”
CHANTILLY REPLAY
A homebred for Millar Farms, Chantilly has now earned $275,000. She paid $2.10 to win.
The post positions for next Saturday’s $532,000 Shes A Great Lady final were drawn on Saturday night.
1 – Papis Opinion (Papi Rob Hanover)
2 – Chantilly (Big Jim)
3 – Tall Dark Lady
4 – My Sweet Lily (Sweet Lou)
5 – Cant See Me (Captaintreacherous)
6 – Lily White Hanover (Captaintreacherous)
7 – Nice Buns (Sweet Lou)
8 – The Last Martini (Huntsville)
9 – Treacheryinthedark (Captaintreacherous)
10 – Cowgirl Hanover (Huntsville)
AE – Millie May Hanover (Bettors Delight)
Elegantimage
Trainer Luc Blais, driver Louis-Philippe Roy and Serge Godin’s Determination swept the pair of $35,000 Elegantimage eliminations with Drawn Impression (Muscle Hill) and Emoji Hanover (Greenshoe).
Determination’s homebred Drawn Impression survived a :26.3 stretch sprint against pocket-sitter R Melina to win the first elimination in 1:52.2.
Roy floated to the lead with Drawn Impression after a :28.1 first quarter and kept the tempo steady through middle splits of :57.1 and 1:25.4. She drifted from the pylons spinning for home, giving room to R Melina to mount a challenge off the slow fractions. Drawn Impression refused to relinquish the lead under increasing pressure from R Melina and kept a head in front to the finish while French Champagne, Cold Snaps and Sambuca Hanover secured the remaining berths.
Louis Roy said of the stretch drive, “She’s geared so that she doesn’t run in on the turn. So most of the horses here, when they get out of the turn, they start drifting out a little bit. We were just trotting the last three-sixteenths; they were really, really trotting. It was just a sprint.”
DRAWN IMPRESSION REPLAY
Out of Emoticon Hanover, Drawn Impression has now won seven times from 13 starts and earned $525,344. She paid $3.40 to win.
Emoji Hanover pounced past tired leaders and coasted to a 1:52.3 victory in the second elimination.
Watching from fourth as R Liza fought for the top to a :27.2 first quarter, Roy stuck to his position through a :56.4 half but sprung into action midway through the final turn as Winning Alliance lost ground ahead of her. Once in gear, Emoji Hanover cruised through three-quarters in 1:24.4 and slid to the lead in mid-stretch under no encouragement. She pulled away to a 1-3/4-length win over Tactical Strike with R Liza holding third from Winning Alliance in fourth.
Cool Ma Belle, the 3-5 favourite, earned the last spot into the final despite breaking into the stretch, finishing fifth.
“I was pretty confident in mine to be fast enough to cover the ground we were gapping,” Roy said. “The main part was being careful leaving the gate, and after that the filly did the job by herself.”
EMOJI HANOVER REPLAY
Winning her fifth race from 14 starts, Emoji Hanover has now earned $212,998. The filly out of Emmylou Who paid $8.60 to win.
The post positions for next Saturday’s $347,000 Elegantimage final were drawn on Saturday.
1 – Cold Snaps (Six Pack)
2 – Tactical Strike (Tactical Landing)
3 – Sambuca Hanover (Bar Hopping)
4 – Drawn Impression (Muscle Hill)
5 – Winning Alliance (Chapter Seven)
6 – Emoji Hanover (Greenshoe)
7 – Cool Ma Belle (Walner)
8 – French Champagne (Muscle Hill)
9 – R Melina (Chapter Seven)
10 – R Liza (Muscle Mass)
AE – Tandem Hanover (Walner)
To read about the Milton Stakes that was also on the card, click here.
For complete race results, click here.
by Grace Martin, for Woodbine Entertainment