by Karen Briggs, WEG media

Campbellville, ON — The marquee event this coming Saturday night will be the C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup, but that’s not the only reason to find yourself a good spot on the rail at Mohawk Raceway on June 16.

Race six on the star-studded card that night will be the C$334,600 Goodtimes Final, one of the first stakes races on the calendar for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings, and considered by many to be an important early prep for the Hambletonian.

A quartet of C$30,000 eliminations on Saturday, June 9, determined the 10-horse field from 31 entries.

In the first of those four eliminations, Chelemark Porter, a gelded son of Balanced Image, bested Cayenne Turbo by three-quarters of a length to win in 1:55.2, with Steve Condren in the bike. It was the fourth lifetime win for the gelding, trained by Ron O’Neill, and owned and bred by Doug Millard Farms, now rated at 7-1 for the final. He will leave from post position one.

In the second elimination, the previously unbeaten 2-5 favorite Flirtin Man shocked everyone by making a break and was distanced. Instead it was the Trond Smedshammer pupil Standpoint who led wire-to-wire, to upset Arsenal Hall and Tymal Cherub in 1:55.2. Smedshammer not only trains the brown Andover Hall colt but also owns a piece of him, with Willow Pond LLC, Theodore Gewertz, and Sampson Street Stables, and drove him to the 1-3/4 length victory.

Standpoint, last year’s winner of a Bluegrass Stakes split at the Red Mile, is currently considered the second favorite at 3-1, and has drawn post position four for the Saturday night final. Smedshammer will also be sending even money favorite Sand Vic to the post later on Saturday evening, for the 1-3/8 mile Open Trotting Classic (race 10).

The favorite prevailed in the third of four eliminations, when Xactly Hanover racked up his fourth career win in his sophomore debut. Andy Miller drove the chestnut son of SJ’s Caviar, conditioned by Osvaldo Formia, to a career best 1:55.3 over Monkey Bones and Hallo. Xactly Hanover is owned by Peter Barbato, Skipper Matthews, and Tindaro Abramo. He’ll leave from post position three in the Goodtimes Stakes.

Quite Easy, another son of Andover Hall, wrapped up the Goodtimes eliminations with a 1-1/2 length victory over 40-1 longshot Celtic Warrior, in 1:56 flat. The Ontario-bred colt is trained by Jimmy Takter and had veteran John Campbell at the lines for his eighth career win, which upped his earnings to $225,513. Quite Easy Partners own the colt, who’ll start in post two and is the early favorite at 5-2.

In 2006, the Goodtimes Stakes was the first major stakes win for Canadian Horse of the Year Majestic Son. Expect this exciting final to identify some of this year’s emerging trotting stars.