Fireworks all around on an explosive night of racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park for the Pepsi North America Cup. Before the stake excitement took the stage Saturday night we got to see the Richard Moreau trainee Gaines Hanover explode off of cover in the Open Trot going for a purse of $40,000 CDN to storm home for driver Sylvain Filion in :26.3 and break the barrier in 1:50.2 a new track and Canadian record.
Our first stake event of the night was the Ambro Flight where we saw the heavy favorite and one of the elimination winners M Ms Dream trained by Ron Burke and driven by David Miller, take on the second choice and other elimination winner Call Me Goo trained by Jason Skinner and driven by Tim Tetrick. Both horses floated out to the quarter with M Ms Dream landing the four hole and Tetrick placed Call Me Goo to the helmet of Miller in the five spot. M Ms Dream and Call Me Goo both floated out before the half while Miller waited for cover from McCarthy and Chake. Midway around the final turn McCarthy committed first up and the outer flow began its power move to the front. At the top of the lane off a 3/4 pole in 1:23.3 M Ms Dream and Call Me Goo both slingshot off the cover of Chake. M Ms Dream put in a galant effort getting by Chake by Call Me Goo despite running in a few times was to much for these as she exploded half way down the lane and with some handy steering from Tetrick and screams from the Call Me Goo party section she stormed home in :26.4 hitting the line in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2.
From here we headed to the consolation of the Pepsi North America Cup where we saw a much better behaved Clever Cody for trainer Ian Moore and driver Sylvain Filion fire out of the gate and land on the lead where he would have the action his own way until they hit the 3/4 pole. Where Filion popped the plugs to brace for a challenge from 43 to 1 shot Remember The Alamo trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Todd McCarthy came calling. Mirage Hanover trained by Jake Leamon and driven by Tim Tetrick were locked in the pocket with no where to go as Remember The Alamo and Clever Cody prepared to do battle down the lane and what a stretch duel it was Clever Cody giving all he had but Remember The Alamo with a relentless drive hits the wire by a nose blowing up the wagering windows in a final quarter of :26.1 a mile in 1:49.1 taking down Clever Cody and winning the Pepsi North America Cup Consolation and leaving Mirage Hanover in a dangerous position if you look at the win photo running over Clever Cody with Tetrick almost standing up in the race bike leaving them with an third place finish.
Next on the card was the Goodtimes Final for 3 Year Old Colts and Geldings Trotters where we got to see the world premiere of Highland Kismet trained by Mark Estell and driven by Bob McClure show the world that he is for real and easily put his name on the list for the top 10 horses on the Road to the Hambletonian. Leaving from post 6 McClure gapped him off the gate to allow the outside horses to make their moves before forwardly moving with this son of Father Patrick with effortlessness towards the lead. Highland Kismet cleared at the half in :55.3 before a quick move by Roy and Private Access back out of the pocket to challenge but to no avail midway down the lane McClure said go and Highland Kismet put Private Access back in the pocket and pulled away effortlessly and McClure set like a statue in the bike and track announcer tells the North America meet Highland Kismet as he stormed home in :26.4 with a stakes equalling mile of 1:51.3 not even breaking a sweat a ultra impressive performance. After the winner circle McClure was asked about Highland Kismet and he was quoted as saying "He's like driving a pacer, he's perfect."
The Mohawk Gold Cup took the next spot on the card where we saw some of the top pacers do battle with the Andrew Harris trainee Abuckabett Hanover driven by Dexter Dunn take to the gate as the favorite and Dexter drove him like one sending him out to the front clearing at a half in :53.4. Abuckabett Hanover hit the 3/4 pole in 1:20.3 with no pressure from a bottled up field in the back before Linedrive Hanover driven by James MacDonald and trained by Anthony Beaton pulled off the cones from third at the top of the lane preparing for a action packed stretch dual. Taurasi driven by Doug McNair and trained by Richard Moreau who had horrible traffic in the final turn found day light and came storming down the inside as a three horse battle was about to take place to the line. As the three hit the wire together Linedrive Hanover on the outside nosed out a storming Taurasi and just getting by a tiring Abuckabett Hanover in 1:47.2 firing home in :26.1. Taurasi came a last quarter pacing out of his shoes in a wicked :25.4.
The Fan Hanover for 3 Year Old Fillies was next up on the card where we got to see a evenly matched field of fillies take to the gate with the likes of Geocentric, Caviart Belle, My Girl Ej, and the crowd favorite Its A Love Thing. Geocentric trained by Brian Brown and driven by Tim Tetrick took to the front clearing midway down the backside after a quarter in :26.3 over second choice on the board My Girl Ej driven by Dexter Dunn and trained by Ron Burke. Tetrick took them to a half in :54.4 before preparing to take on a first over grind from Its A Love Thing trained by David Menary and driven by James MacDonald towing Caviart Belle trained by Nancy Takter and driven by Yannick Gingras into the race second over. At the 3/4 pole Its A Love Thing put a head in front in 1:22 with Yannick glued to her helmet and Dunn locked in the pocket looking for room. As Geocentric started to give way she opened up the rail for My Girl Ej to shot through and Yannick swings Caviart Belle three wide to take on Its A Love Thing as MacDonald goes to work on her. But it was all to no avail as Its A Love Thing holds off all challenges and captures the Fan Hanover to a roaring crowd of faithful fans in new lifetime make of 1:48.2 final quarter in :26.2 equaling the stakes, track, and Canadian record.
The following stakes event we saw the Roses Are Red participates take to the track for $305,000 CDN with the likes of Silver Label, Grace Hill, Twin B Joe Fresh, Silvia Hanover, and Always B Naughty. Twin B Joe Fresh trained by Chris Ryder and driven by Dexter Dunn both co-owners would take all the money from the betting public after her last two domination performances. After tons of early actions Twin B Joe Fresh would clear at the half in :54.4 for Dunn and prepare for pressure from a first up Silvia Hanover trained by Shawn Steacy and driven by Bob McClure. At the 3/4 pole in 1:21.2 Dunn told Twin B Joe Fresh to go and she began to pour it on as McClure never made it to the wheel disks of Dunn. As Twin B Joe Fresh powered through the lane Dunn give two little taps of the whip to keep her attention as no-one every contested her as she hit the line in 1:48 final quarter :26.3 and looking for more.
Next up was the big event the Pepsi North America Cup goin for $1,000,000 CDN with a deep field of horses in which anyone could make a case for taking the cup home. As the gate swung open Captian Albano trained by Noel Daley and driven by Todd McCarthy would take the early lead before giving way to Funtime Bayama trained by Richard Moreau and driven by Sylvain Filion. Quickly McCarthy retook from the pocket in a quarter of :26.1 bracing for a rush from Captains Quarters driven by Jody Jamieson and trained by Herbert Holland putting Funtime Bayama back in third and locked in. Captains Quarters cleared off a half in :54.1 as Legendary Hanover driven by James MacDonald and trained by Anthony Beaton began his first over grind towing stable mate Nijinsky driven by Louis-Philippe Roy into the action. At the 3/4 pole in 1:21.2 Legendary Hanover comes to the head of Captains Quarters leaving Roy salivating second over with Nijinsky with Captian Albano locked in the pocket and Sylvain Filion loaded with nowhere to go with Funtime Bayama. As they began to sprint down the lane Roy flips off cover as Legendary Hanover begins to give way Captian Albano buried on the rail with Jamison not allowing him room to get through Filion coasting across the track trying to find room for Funtime Bayama. But it is Roy and Nijinsky powering by Captains Quarters in late stretch with Roy pumping his fist and showing so much emotion in 1:48.1 final quarter :26.2. Funtime Bayama found room too late but storming home in :26.3 to get third for the Filion family. What an exciting and special night it was capped off by a great race. A night the Canadian horseman should soon not forget as their home based horses showed up big on the big stage taking four of the big events and in the $1,000,000 Pepsi North American Cup they took the top three spots and had four out of the top five finishers.
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