Mohawk to host lucrative Grand Circuit program
June 14, 2017,by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: North America Cup, Fan Hanover, Roses Are Red, Armbro Flight and Goodtimes finals, Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, Ontario.
Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit spotlight will be on Mohawk Racetrack this weekend as the Ontario oval hosts five lucrative stakes finals on Saturday night (June 17) led by the C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup for 3-year-old colt pacers. Also on the card will be the C$440,000 Fan Hanover for 3-year-old filly pacers, the C$365,000 Roses Are Red for older mare pacers, the C$253,000 Armbro Flight for older mare trotters and the C$251,000 Goodtimes for 3-year-old colt trotters.
Complete entries for the Mohawk races can be found by clicking on this link.
Last time: On an absolutely picturesque evening at Eldorado Scioto Downs, Crazy Wow and Chris Page assumed command upon their departure from the gate and did not experience a truly tense moment en route to a powerful 1:52 track record score in the $200,000 Charlie Hill Memorial in front of a standing-room only crowd on Saturday (June 10). Defending older trotting champion Obrigado (Mark MacDonald) was second, with Canadian invader Musical Rhythm (Peter Wrenn) third.
Conrad photo
Crazy Wow and driver Chris Page won the Charlie Hill Memorial in a track record time of 1:52.
Commencing his journey from post position eight did not seem to hamper Crazy Wow’s need to display his speed. Conditioned by Ron Burke and owned by Our Horse Cents Stables, Stable 45, J&T Silva Stables and Deo Volente Farms, the 5-year-old stallion, fresh off his first victory in nearly a year in the $150,000 Maxie Lee Invitational on May 28 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, laid down a very swift first split of :26.2 with Obrigado in hot pursuit in the field of nine with the scratch of Homicide Hunter. In essence it was reduced to eight competitors after 2015 Dan Patch Award winner and world champion JL Cruze broke strode going into the first turn.
As Crazy Wow and Page went past the half-mile marker in :55.1, Obrigado was hemmed in and slightly shuffled back to third as Hemi Seelster (Brett Holland) moved aggressively, intent on not allowing his top two rivals to stray too far.
After Crazy Wow passed the three-quarter marker in 1:23.1, the rest of the field began their bids to overtake him in their quest for the wire. Both Centurion ATM (Aaron Merriman) and Musical Rhythm made their moves from sixth and fifth, respectively, as Hemi Seelster tired from his earlier efforts to drop back to fourth entering the top of the stretch.
This transition of positions provided Obrigado, who was making his 2017 debut, with a desperately needed seam and he and MacDonald pulled to the outside in an attempt to chase down Crazy Wow. Their efforts, however, were in vain, as Crazy Wow appeared to lengthen his stride with each hoof he placed upon the Columbus oval and he maintained a comfortable 1-3/4 length advantage right to the wire. Musical Rhythm spurted up the rail after Obrigado vacated that area to finish third.
Collecting his second consecutive triumph and propelling his 2017 record to 5-2-3-0, with his career resume now at 47-17-10-3, Crazy Wow has now earned more than $1.7 million. Sent off the as the second selection at 3-1, the stallion paid a generous $8.20 for his victory.
Complete recaps of the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2017, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will once again be tracked on a points system (20-10-5 for the top three finishers in divisions/finals and 10-5-2 for the top three finishers in eliminations/legs). Winbak Farms is the sponsor for the 2017 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders through and including the races on June 10.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 211; 2. Jason Bartlett – 148; 3. Jordan Stratton – 136; 4. David Miller – 129; 5. Matt Kakaley – 128.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 238; 2. Peter Tritton – 132; 3. Rene Allard – 99; 4. Richard Banca – 86; 5. Noel Daley – 67.
Owners: 1. Harry von Knoblauch Stable – 103.5; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 53; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 44.2; 4. J&T Silva Stables – 43.2; 5. Determination – 37.
Looking ahead: Next weekend will see Grand Circuit action taking place at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with eliminations for the Ben Franklin (older pacers), Earl Beal Memorial (3-year-old colt trotters), Max Hempt Memorial (3-year-old colt pacers) and James Lynch (3-year-old filly pacers) on Saturday (June 24).
- Post positions drawn for Pepsi North America Cup (Tuesday, June 13, 2017)
Posts were drawn today for Saturday’s C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup for 3-year-old male pacers at Mohawk Racetrack. The connections of elimination winners Downbytheseaside, Fear The Dragon, and Huntsville got to pick starting spots before an open draw for the remaining positions.
- Exiting a winner (Wednesday, June 14, 2017)
When he first began racing, Enterprise sometimes looked for the quickest way to exit the track. Over time, though, he seems to have settled for the fastest way to the winner’s circle. Enterprise is 5-for-5 in his career as he heads to Saturday’s C$251,000 Goodtimes Stakes for 3-year-old male trotters at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario. Last week the Marcus Melander-trained colt won his Goodtimes elimination by two lengths over AWOL Hanover in a lifetime-best 1:53.1.
- Tetrick hopes to hoist Cup with Huntsville (Thursday, June 15, 2017)
Tim Tetrick knows Huntsville will face challenges in Saturday’s C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup. His goal is to make the race even more challenging for those that oppose him.
- Alagna sending out fifth Cup starter with Western Hill (Thursday, June 15, 2017)
Trainer Tony Alagna is set to make his fifth appearance in the C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup on Saturday (June 17) when he sends Western Hill, a Western Ideal gelding from the Art Major mare Cosmo Blue Chip, from post nine with Doug McNair driving the 20-1 morning line shot.
- Gingras looks to finish in front with Idyllic Beach in Fan Hanover (Friday, June 16, 2017)
Idyllic Beach spent a lot of time near the front of a lot of races last year, but driver Yannick Gingras says the filly doesn’t need to be setting fractions to be successful.
- Nike Franco N seeks Roses Are Red triumph (Friday, June 16, 2017)
She and her husband already have Delaware champion Logan’s Girl, stand-out Newborn Sassy, the top-class Purrfect Bags, the 2015 North America Cup winner in Wakizashi Hanover and a former New Zealand Horse of the Year in Christen Me, but there is one other horse in the care of Jo Ann Looney-King and Jim King Jr. who is intent on accumulating her own accolades rather than linger in the shadows of her barnmates and that is Nike Franco N.
- Fear The Dragon hopes to bring Emerald Highlands Cup glory (Friday, June 16, 2017)
The Perretti Farms dispersal in November 2013 allowed Bruce Trogdon’s Emerald Highlands Farm to acquire Armbro Cinnamon in foal to Dragon Again. The resulting foal, born on April 16, 2014, was Fear The Dragon. A 3-year-old colt, Fear The Dragon has won 10 of 16 career starts and is undefeated in five outings this season. His most recent victory was a 1:50 score in an elimination of the Pepsi North America Cup.
- Lou Lamoriello to present North America Cup (Friday, June 16, 2017)
Woodbine Entertainment Group is pleased to announce that Lou Lamoriello, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be making the winner’s circle presentation for this Saturday’s C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack.