by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

Campbellville, ON — New faces are set to perform in Friday’s C$20,000 second leg of the Youthful Series at Mohawk, as six of the 19 three-year-old colts and geldings who are in the two divisions had skipped last week.

The first split, which has been carded as race four (8:40 p.m.), looks to be highly competitive, as five of the six who missed the opening leg are set to square off.

Chicane, Magical GG, Kris A Character, Hayon Hanover and Cardholder will all be battling for entrance into the C$56,600 (estimated) final, which is set for April 16.

Both Cardholder and Kris A Character hail from trainer Nat Varty’s barn. Cardholder, a Cam’s Card Shark colt, will be debuting for Varty in his first pari-mutuel start of the year and will leave from the outside nine hole.

Victorious in a $101,500 Niatross division at The Meadowlands last summer, Cardholder went on to do battle in the $640,000 Woodrow Wilson Final and later back at Woodbine in the $74,000 consolation of the Metro Pace, where he finished a disappointing sixth. Varty has listed Randy Waples to do the driving of the Jeffrey Snyder-owned Cardholder.

Listed to drive Kris A Character is none other than Jack Moiseyev. After only a pair of starts as a two-year-old, Kris A Character will also be making his 2004 debut -– the first for Varty as well.

The brown son of Shady Character—Pom Pom Lobell qualified on April 2 over a sloppy Mohawk oval in which the judges granted a three second variant. Owned by Sheffield, Ohio’s Kenneth Sommer, Kris A Character had a two hole trip, popped out in the lane, and stopped the clock in 2:01⁴, coming home in a :28⁴ final quarter. Kris A Character has drawn post five.

Chicane, who is conditioned by Bob McIntosh, has drawn the rail and Steve Condren is listed to drive. A son of Camluck, out of the Jate Lobell mare Drivin Miss Jate, Chicane has banked $20,373 in earnings from nine starts this year (3-1-0). Owned by McIntosh, Paul Ysebaert and Beverly Snobelen of Ontario, Chicane’s last start came on April 3 at Western Fair Raceway in London, Ontario where he cut all the fractions on the half-mile oval before fading to fourth at the wire.

Trainer Joe Stutzman is represented in the dash by Magical GG, who will start in the two hole. A Real Artist gelding out of the Matt’s Scooter mare Bone Chill, Magical GG has compiled a record of 3-2-2 and $17,391 in earnings from nine trips behind the gate this year. In his last start (in which he finished second to The One Night Pan by one and a quarter lengths) Magical GG came home in a :26⁴ final panel. To go along with Chicane, Condren is also listed to drive Magical GG.

The hot combination of trainer Mark Harder and driver Mike Saftic will be intact with Hayon Hanover, a gelded son of Western Hanover, who will leave from post eight. Having shown a knack for hard-closing finishes in his last three dashes, Hayon Hanover, who is out of the Abercrombie mare Happy Fiddler, has a pair of wins and one second in three dashes this year.

Allamerican Unique, Big League Barry and Winfromheretohere are other notables in the first split.

The second division (race six, 9:20 p.m.) features the Bob McIntosh-trained Ponder, 2004 Apaches Fame champion Western Gem, and Nat Varty trainee Duca.

The complete fields for the two divisions are as follows:

Division 1 (Race Four, 8:40 p.m.)

PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer

1 – Chicane – S. Condren – R. McIntosh

2 – Magical GG – S. Condren – J. Stutzman

3 – Pacific Renegade – L. Ouellette – D. McCall

4 – Allamerican Unique – Ra. Waples – Br. Robinson

5 – Kris A Character – J. Moiseyev – N. Varty

6 – Big League Barry – M. Baillargeon – B. Baillargeon

7 – Winfromheretohere – M. Vanderkemp – M. Vanderkemp

8 – Hayon Hanover – M. Saftic – M. Harder

9 – Cardholder – Ra. Waples – N. Varty

Division 2 (Race Six, 9:20 p.m.)

PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer

1 – Swingman – R. Mayotte – R. Young

2 – Duca – Ra. Waples – N. Varty

3 – Dream Possession – L. Ouellette – J. Gillis

4 – Pokagon – M. Baillargeon – B. Wallace

5 – Ponder – S. Condren – R. McIntosh

6 – Albert Town – A. Macdonald – A. Macdonald

7 – Western Gem – A. Kerwood – D. Nadon

8 – Foot Action – L. Ouellette – G. Durand

9 – Mata Harry – Ra. Waples – D. McCall

10 – Prince Val – M. Baillargeon – R. Fife

Big returns at Mohawk

As the Mohawk Spring Meet continues, the large prices are being posted like wildfire.

The highest Win Four of the year was recorded Tuesday night, as Kings Ransom ($92.60), Camspicuous ($8.50), The Hoe Train ($56.30) and Cyber Sunset ($11.10) returned $26,331.85.

R L Authentique and driver Bill O’Donnell started off the evening by stopping the clock in 1:59² and paying $13.90 on a winning ticket.

In the first of his pair of victories on the evening, Mike Saftic led Speed From Above home first in the third dash, returning $11.30 on a winning ticket.

Trainer/driver Mike Vanderkemp finished the Tuesday card by stopping the clock in 1:57¹ with Electric Circus ($20.10), topping a $2,059.40 triactor.

The card this past Saturday evening at Mohawk also displayed some great payoffs: Yentls Ty Guy ($23.70 to win; $3,960.40 triactor), Smoke N Sizzle ($38.30 to win), Casimirbadmoonrisin ($111.90 to win; $1,991.20 triactor), Hollins Glide ($17.50 to win; $3,521.80 triactor), Commodity Trader ($27.10 to win; $1,736.80 triactor), Royal Mattjesty ($12.00 to win), Horselaughter ($13.20 to win), Sand Olls Daughter ($15.90 to win) and Warlock Apprentice ($15.80 to win).

Only two of the 11 victorious horses on Saturday didn’t return double-digit win prices.