Milton, ON – Woodbine Mohawk Park contested a pair of C$50,000 eliminations for the Grade 1 Canadian Pacing Derby on Saturday night (Aug. 29), with For Once Inmy Life comfortably popping to win the first elimination and Prince Hal Hanover clinching a tight victory in the second.
Driver Jordan Stratton secured a pocket ride with For Once Inmy Life and pounced to a lifetime-best 1:47 victory to win the first Canadian Pacing Derby elimination.
Stratton hustled his charge forward out of post 6 and took the lead into the first turn while even-money favorite Best Chip loomed up the rim. Best Chip overtook For Once Inmy Life by a :25.4 first quarter and rolled up the backstretch under no pressure toward a :54.2 half. He remained on the muscle through the last turn, clocking three-quarters in 1:21, and set down for the stretch drive as Stratton angled outside for the attack.
For Once Inmy Life motored from the covered trip and darted by Best Chip with ease in the final eighth to spurt clear by 1-3/4 lengths at the finish while Coaches Corner gave chase in third, Crack Shot rallied from a second-over trip for fourth and Oakwood Ardan IR rallied widest down the track from last for fifth to make the final.
“He’s really sharp right now and he raced really good at Pocono,” Jordan Stratton said after the race. “The trip worked out tonight. It’s not a win on P.E.I., but it still feels good. He got stretched out (in) a couple of miles and seemed to recover from it and raced really good tonight. It’s a long stretch, (and) Best Chip is on his toes right now, so I wasn’t 100 percent confident, but halfway down the stretch he felt pretty good.”
Cory Stratton trains For Once Inmy Life, a 6-year-old gelding by Downbytheseaside-Flyme To The Moon, for owner Winters Racing Stable. The gelding has now won 10 times from 21 starts this season and 24 times from 75 starts in his career, banking C$905,809.
“He’s just a very nice animal,” said Victoria Stratton of Stratton Stables. “He takes care of himself, he jogs like a turtle… you would never know he paces that fast. He’s just easy. He’s always been there and he just likes the bigger tracks. Keeping him off a half(-mile track) has probably been the best move for him. I’m not surprised at all, honestly.”
Sent the second choice in the betting, For Once Inmy Life paid $5.20 to win.
Prince Hal Hanover stretched for the lead through a quick first half and held stubbornly for the win in a blanket finish to the second Canadian Pacing Derby elimination.
Leaving from post 9, driver Todd McCarthy nestled Prince Hal Hanover behind odds-on favorite Ervin Hanover as he brushed toward the front in a :26.3 first quarter. Once Ervin Hanover cleared control into the backstretch, McCarthy ground forward and clawed to the lead just past a :53.2 half, but Ervin Hanover began looming from the pocket around the last turn as Calicojack Hanover pushed up the rim with Women Layer in tow.
Prince Hal Hanover clocked three-quarters in 1:20.4 and extended into the stretch, but he wavered as his rivals kept charging in the final eighth. McCarthy kept the Dr. Ian Moore trainee to task and dug in against an onslaught of late pursuers to hit the beam a nose better than fast-closing Women Layer with Ervin Hanover taking third. Ayeaye Captain Deo stormed over the top for fourth and Lou Hill skimmed the pylons to snag the last berth into the final.
“I wanted to see how he got off the car – he was feeling pretty good, we were working forward and I took a shot to keep moving there tonight,” McCarthy said after the race. “It was a big half, but full credit to Doc and the job he’s done with this horse managing him, and to Prince Hal himself. He’s an incredible animal and to fight off a field like that down the stretch is just, it’s really admirable. It’s a pleasure to sit behind him. Off those fractions, I really thought it was going to be hard for him. It was a good group of horses following him. Like I said, he gives me goosebumps. I just love him. I wish every horse could fight as hard as he does. He’s just so much fun to sit behind.”
“I had to look at the TV a few times. I guess when they call the number first for tests that means you won, so that’s when we started walking down,” Doc Moore said after the race. “Todd said ‘I wish I had five more Prince Hals because he’s one of the toughest horses I’ve ever had in my life.’ Every time he goes is just another day for him. He’s battling through some issues now, and that’s just what he does; he just keeps on going. He loves what he’s doing, as Todd said. And he’s just so tough to do it, as well. A lot of other horses would falter with what he’s dealing with now, but he just keeps going. I’m probably going to go easy on him this week to keep him easy and sound and ready to go for next Saturday.”
A 4-year-old stallion by Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip, Prince Hal Hanover won his fifth race from 13 starts this season and his 15th race from 44 starts in his career, earning C$2.18 million for owner Prince Hal Hanover Stable. He paid $14.30 to win.
Each elimination winner earned draw protection between posts 2 and 6 for the Grade 1 Canadian Pacing Derby final, slated as one of the headline races for next Saturday’s (Sept. 5) card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Below are the post positions for the final:
1 – Women Layer
2 – Lou Hill
3 – Oakwood Ardan IR
4 – Best Chip
5 – For Once Inmy Life
6 – Prince Hal Hanover
7 – Ayeaye Captain Deo
8 – Crack Shot
9 – Ervin Hanover
10 – Coaches Corner
AE – Clever Cody