from Standardbred Canada

Mississauga, ON — The lightly raced gelding Michael’s Power romped to a four length victory in the C$600,000 Upper Canada Cup for Ontario sired 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Saturday night (May 26) at Georgian Downs.

Driven by Scott Zeron, elimination winner Michael’s Power forged to the front from post three with Huxley and Robert Shepherd leaving from post five and settling into the two hole. Meanwhile, Hard To Mach and Jody Jamieson were parked out with Rebel Jet and Paul MacDonell on their backs.

The Casie Coleman-trained Michael’s Power carved out opening fractions of :26.2 and :54 before Mel Mara, another elimination winner, went three-wide from third over down the backstretch under Luc Ouellette’s guidance and dropped into third past the 1:21.4 three-quarter mark.

Back on top, Michael’s Power spun into the stretch and drew off to win in a career-best 1:50. Huxley followed for second place honors and Mel Mara finished third. The third elimination winner, Secretsoftheknight and Doug McNair, came on for fourth.

The winning time established a new 3-year-old gelding track and Canadian record and was three-fifths of a second away from the overall male record held by colt Watermelonwine.

“When I got the post three I was pretty confident with the other two elim winners having the eight and the nine; they were going to have to work really hard,” commented Zeron after the victory. “I felt like I had the best horse in the race so I was going to position him the best and things just really worked out. I was very surprised (nobody went with me). I thought Mel Mara would be coming at me and I was willing to sit in the two hole behind that horse.”

The richest restricted race in harness racing marked the biggest win in Zeron’s burgeoning career. The young Oakville reinsman noted that he wasn’t going to take any chances with such high stakes and pulled the earplugs on his mount in the stretch.

“The running joke with Casie is I never pull the plugs and I didn’t think I had to, but I wasn’t taking any chances.”

The Camluck-Michelle’s Jackpot gelding is a perfect three-for-three this year and five-for-six lifetime for owner-breeder Jeffrey Snyder.

“I always thought he was an okay colt, but I wasn’t this high on him,” said Coleman. “But once he got racing he was just all racehorse. Realistically, he should be undefeated. The one start he got beat there he just had some road trouble and he would have won it if he got out.”

“This is very special win for us because we campaigned his dam, Michelle’s Jackpot, who was 3-year-old filly of the year,” commented Snyder. “She won the Three Diamonds and was a great, great mare. She’s a sister to Cam’s Card Shark so it’s very special that we bred her and raced her and we never expected for him (Michael’s Power) to be this good. Although he’s a full brother to (millionairess) Michelle’s Power, it’s just wonderful. We’ve had a lot of luck up in Canada. Casie’s done an amazing job and she’s got great staff. I appreciate everything she’s done.”

Michael’s Power will race in the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes next and is eligible to the C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup. He has been assessed at odds of 65-1 in Trot Magazine’s 2012 Spring Book.

In the C$50,000 Consolation, Thunder Steeler ($7.80) opened up daylight on the field to break his maiden in 1:50 with Simon Allard aboard for new trainer Isaac Waxman. The Lis Mara-Avacal Future colt is owned by the Uncirculated Stable and Frank Smyth.

Driver Brett Miller, trainer Richard Gillock and Pennsylvania owner-breeder Robert Key swept both divisions of the Honourable Earl Rowe Memorial Trot featured on the undercard with a pair of millionaires getting up in time to score.

Winning Mister lowered the trotting track record by two-fifths of a second with a 1:52.4 victory in the C$113,250 Gold division.

The 6-year-old son of Angus Hall forged to the front from post position five and posted a :26.4 opening quarter with favorite Daylon Magician and Jack Moiseyev parked out and rolling. Daylon Magician cleared to command as the trotters raced in front of the grandstand for the first time and led the way past the half in :55 and three-quarters in 1:24 with second choice Mister Herbie and Jody Jamieson advancing first over from fifth, but not making much progress.

As the field headed for home, Miller pulled Winning Mister from the pocket and wore down the leader for the half-length victory. Imperial Count and Scott Zeron finished two lengths behind in third off a three-hole trip.

The former trotting track record of 1:53.1 was set by Adam T in 2008. The win for Winning Mister was his 11th in 14 seasonal starts.

“I drove this horse a lot last year and I always felt that he was better out of a hole,” commented Miller after the race. “When Daylon Magician came at me, I was happy to turn him loose. It felt like we were trotting really hard so to actually get by Daylon Magician, Mister Herbie was going to have to go one heck of a mile. He’s a very good trotter, I just got lucky and got the trip.”

Third choice Winning Mister paid $10.80 to win for the 34th time in his career.

With Miller aboard Break The Bank K for the first time in the trotter’s 42 career starts, the 3-2 favorite survived an inquiry to win the C$63,250 Silver division.

Miller sent the 5-year-old Revenue S gelding to command from third at the :28.1 first quarter mark and cruised past middle panels of :56.3 and 1:24.4 before holding off the first over attacker, Undercover Strike and Moiseyev, to win by a head in 1:54. Pocket-sitter A Crown For Lindy finished five lengths behind in third in rein to Luc Ouellette.

Judges ruled that Break The Bank K only went inside one pylon and therefore did not violate the pylon rule.

“The horse does have some problems and obviously he’s not quite the trotter he used to be, but he’s got a big heart and he keeps going,” said Miller of the former Breeders Crown champion who did not race as a 4-year-old. “He was on the right line pretty bad (at the top of the stretch) and that was causing me to get real close to the pylons. There’s something that was bothering him, but he’s a tough horse and kept going.”

Break The Bank K paid $3.30 to win for the 13th time in his career.