by Ashley Mayotte – WEG Communications

Campbellville, ON — 3-year-old fillies Monkey On My Wheel and China Pearls stole the show in their respective SBOA Stake finals Friday evening at Mohawk Racetrack.

In the C$132,654 final for sophomore pacing fillies, Monkey On My Wheel found the winner’s circle for the fifth consecutive time this season.

Sent off as the 1-5 favorite, Monkey On My Wheel and driver Jody Jamieson cut the mile through fractions of :27.3, :57.1, 1:25.2 and 1:51.4.

The Travis Umphrey trainee scored the two length victory over a late closing Patsys Luck (Mike Saftic). Modern Connection (Mark MacDonald) finished third.

After winning the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final at Rideau Carleton on August 7, Umphrey says his pacing miss became sick.

“I was a little concerned if we had elims because she wouldn’t have been in it,” he said, following the win. “That’s how sick she got after the Ottawa series. Luckily they didn’t get enough to have elims and we were able to get her healthy for the final.”

Aside from the scheduled OSS action Monkey On My Wheel will tackle, Umphrey has kept her eligible to the Simcoe Stakes at Mohawk (September 5) and Breeders Crown at Woodbine (October 29).

Umphrey also revealed that there is a good chance that Monkey On My Wheel will be back to race at the age of four.

“If she finishes out the year well, she will get a break and she seems to actually be getting better with age, so that is definitely in our plans,” he said.

The Mach Three filly has a lifetime record of 8-7-1 in 19 starts for Umphrey and Mac Nichol.

As the even-money favorite, China Pearls and driver Randy Waples captured the C$148,654 SBOA final for 3-year-old filly trotters.

Peach Martini (Rick Zeron), who accepted a bye to the final, cut the opening panel in :27.4, but last week’s elimination winner, China Pearls, launched a first-over attack from fourth and cleared to the front by the half in :57.2.

Holding command, the Carman Hie student passed the three quarters in 1:27.2 and got under the wire in 1:55.2. China Pearls dug in to win by half a length over a hard closing Magic Wheel (Joe Hudon). Oh Sweet Baby (Mario Baillargeon) finished third.

It was the first time Waples raced the filly on the front-end and he feels it might not have been her best trip, but it worked out in the end.

“I just wasn’t sure how she was going to be in front because I have never raced her that way,” he said. “We have always raced her from off-the-pace, but she is really good right now and I just took a shot.”

But before the race, China Pearls wasn’t acting like her normal self.

“For some reason she didn’t want to go to the gate tonight,” Waples said. “She is never like that. She was really quiet and relaxed at the post parade then all of a sudden when it was time to go to the gate, she just didn’t want to have anything to do with it.”

Unraced as a 2-year-old, the Kadabra filly has a lifetime record of 5-0-5 in 13 starts for owners Hie, Blake Anthony, J Peter Kloepfer and Ted Murrell.

The Game Plan takes Gold

The Game Plan delivered as the bettor’s choice in the C$130,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final for 2-year-old colt trotters Friday night at Mohawk Racetrack.

The John Kopas pupil captured the Gold trophy in a new lifetime mark of 1:56.3, despite a break in stride past the quarter pole.

Il Mago (Trevor Ritchie) took the field to the first quarter in :28.1, but at the half in :57.4, a parked-out Ill Be There (Doug McNair) poked a head in front as he broke stride making a bit for the lead. Il Mago regained command and passed the three-quarter marker in 1:26.3.

As the freshmen trotters turned for home, The Game Plan and driver Jack Moiseyev exploded from back in seventh to take the lead in deep stretch and win by one length. Il Mago finished second with Good Sound Advice (Randy Waples) rounding out the triactor.

“Everyone was jockeying for position and Luc (Ouellette with Warrawee Nimby) had me pretty tight there,” said Moiseyev, following the win. “[The Golden Child] made a break and I had to jerk mine over a little bit and he made a break.”

The Game Plan shocked Moiseyev with his ability to recover from his miscue and he thought they were out of the race until the pair hit final turn.

“He surprised me,” said the veteran driver. “He came right back trotting after six strides. Going around the last turn he swelled right back up again. He was still loaded, I couldn’t believe it. He just dug right in.”

The gelded son of Kadabra-Image Control picked up his fourth win in six career outings for Kopas, LLK Stable, Gary Grieve and Anthony Wagner.