from Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — Prodigal Seelster, Big Jim, Wind Me Up, and Great Vintage each won an elimination race for Saturday’s (September 4) million-dollar Metro Pace for 2-year-old pacers at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario.

Also advancing to the final were second-place finishers Mystician, Line Officer, Feel Like A Fool, and Rollwithitharry as well as third-place finishers Roll With Joe and Ohmygosh Hanover (who were drawn by lot).

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Prodigal Seelster and Tim Tetrick were 1:50 winners in their Metro elimination.

Prodigal Seelster paced the fastest mile of the season so far for a 2-year-old when he won his elim by 2-1/4 lengths over Mystician in 1:50. Roll With Joe was third. Prodigal Seelster has won four in a row, including the $291,000 Battle of Waterloo and a $102,420 division of the Nassagaweya Stakes. He was driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer David Menary. The colt, a son of Camluck-Platinum Seelster, was purchased as a yearling for $60,000 at the Forest City Sale.

“I was very impressed with him last week (in the Nassagaweya),” Tetrick said. “He was so professional; he’s like a 4-year-old with high speed. Dave does a really good job and we’ve had some good luck this year and I always get power in between the shafts.”

Big Jim won by three-quarters of a length over Line Officer in 1:50.2, which is the second-fastest mile by a 2-year-old this season. It was Big Jim’s third consecutive victory after beginning his career with a third- and second-place finish in his first two starts. He is trained by James “Friday” Dean and driven by Phil Hudon. Big Jim was coming off a win in a division of the Nassagaweya Stakes at Mohawk.

Great Vintage, a three-quarter brother to top older pacer Vintage Master, survived an outside trip and won his Metro elim by 1-1/2 lengths over Feel Like A Fool in 1:50.4. Ohmygosh Hanover was third. Great Vintage, who was coming off a win in the New York Sire Stakes, has four victories in five starts this season. He is trained by Jimmy Takter.

“He’s very versatile, which is his best attribute,” driver John Campbell said. “He was pretty eager coming from off the pace, so I was pretty confident in my horse.”

Wind Me Up won his elim by 1-1/2 lengths over Rollwithitharry in 1:51.1. He was driven by David Miller for trainer Brenda Teague. Wind Me Up has won three of five races. Wind Me Up, a son of Bettor’s Delight-Breathe, was purchased as a yearling for $20,000 under the name Air Speed Wagon at the Standardbred Horse Sale. His mother is a full sister to multiple-stakes-winner Northern Sky, who is the dam of recent Valley Forge consolation winner Northwest Hanover.

The connections of elimination winners got to select their post positions for Saturday’s final. Here is the field in post position order, with drivers and trainers for the elims: 1. Great Vintage, John Campbell, Jimmy Takter; 2. Wind Me Up, David Miller, Brenda Teague; 3. Prodigal Seelster, Tim Tetrick, David Menary; 4. Big Jim, Phil Hudon, James Dean; 5. Feel Like A Fool, Brian Sears, Brenda Teague; 6. Ohmygosh Hanover, Mark MacDonald, Casie Coleman; 7. Roll With Joe, Brian Sears, Ed Hart; 8. Line Officer, Tim Tetrick, Mike Vanderkemp; 9. Mystician, Jody Jamieson, Jeff Gillis; 10. Rollwithitharry, Ron Pierce, Jimmy Takter.

Canadian Pacing Derby: Shark Gesture’s bid for a second consecutive win in the Canadian Pacing Derby will begin from post No. 8 on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack. Shark Gesture, who won last year’s race by two lengths over Bettor Sweet, was joined by Vintage Master and Won The West in accepting byes into Saturday’s $755,000 final.

Shark Gesture is the No. 1-ranked horse in harness racing’s weekly Top 10 poll. He has won seven of 10 races this season and finished no worse than second in any start. He has earned $918,875 for trainer Larry Remmen, driver George Brennan, and owners Norman Smiley, Gerald Smiley and TLP Stable. Shark Gesture’s most recent effort was a win in the $702,500 William R. Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands on August 20.

Hypnotic Blue Chip won the single elimination for the Canadian Pacing Derby, beating Bigtime Ball by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:48.3. He is driven by Jody Jamieson, trained by Kevin McDermott, and owned by Francis Azur. He has won six of 19 starts this season and earned $516,199. He was second in the Haughton and won a division of the U.S. Pacing Championship on August 7 at the Meadowlands with a world record 1:47.2 mile.

The victory gave Hypnotic Blue Chip’s connections the chance to select the horse’s starting spot. He will begin the final from post No. 2.

Following is the field in post position order, with most recent drivers and trainers: 1. Keystone Horatio, Randy Waples, John Kopas; 2. Hypnotic Blue Chip, Jody Jamieson, Kevin McDermott; 3. Blueridge Western, Tim Tetrick, Kevin McDermott; 4. Won The West, David Miller, Ron Burke; 5. Bigtime Ball, Paul MacDonell, Gord Irwin; 6. Lucky Man, Mark MacDonald, Casie Coleman; 7. Bettor Sweet, Brian Sears, Thomas Cancelliere; 8. Shark Gesture, George Brennan, Larry Remmen; 9. Vintage Master, Daniel Dube, Jimmy Takter; 10. Lisagain, Andy Miller, Erv Miller.

She’s A Great Lady: Pretty Katherine looked like a great lady in winning her elimination race for Saturday’s $765,000 She’s A Great Lady Stakes for 2-year-old filly pacers at Mohawk Racetrack. Pretty Katherine, driven by Mark MacDonald for trainer Casie Coleman, won by 5-1/4 lengths over Shyaway in 1:50.3. The time equaled the world record for a 2-year-old filly, set by A And G’sconfusion in 2007. Pretty Katherine is undefeated in four starts.

Pretty Katherine’s mother, Fox Valley Shaker, was second to Cabrini Hanover in the 2004 She’s A Great Lady. Pretty Katherine’s sire is Rocknroll Hanover.

“I had her wrapped up down the stretch,” MacDonald said. “It was pretty amazing. She was pretty special here on Monday (winning her division of the Eternal Camnation Stakes). I wanted to race her from off the pace, but I wasn’t sure if I could. If I kept her pacing, she would have set a world record; she hasn’t even come close to her bottom yet.”

Strike An Attitude and Idyllic also won She’s A Great Lady elims. Strike An Attitude has won three of six starts while Idyllic is unbeaten in four races.

The connections of the elim winners got to select their horse’s starting position. Following is the field in post position order with drivers and trainers from the elims: 1. Strike An Attitude, Stephen Condren, Robert McIntosh; 2. Shyaway, Brian Sears, Chris Ryder; 3. Pretty Katherine, Mark MacDonald, Casie Coleman; 4. Idyllic, Mark MacDonald, Casie Coleman; 5. Rockratese, Sylvain Filion, Tim Pinske; 6. Mater Deo, Mark MacDonald, Casie Coleman; 7. Modern Connection, Andy Miller, Joe Seekman; 8. Ms Malicious, Tim Tetrick, Jerry Silverman; 9. Buck Stops Here, Jody Jamieson, Chris Ryder; 10. Southwind Jazmin, Jack Moiseyev, Mark Harder.