Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

Campbellville, April 29, 2004… Now unbeaten in two straight races in his freshman campaign, Rogue Hall is ready to take his first-ever taste of stakes action. A lone seven-horse field has been assembled for Friday’s C$50,000 second leg of the Mohawk Series for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers and the Rene Laarman-conditioned Cambest colt has drawn post six.

His draw won’t give him the luxury of leaving closer to the rail, although, how everything has gone so far in his first pair of starts, it almost seems like Rogue Hall wouldn’t want it any other way.

Making his debut in a maiden race on April 12 at Mohawk, Rogue Hall left from the outside post 10 and was first-over from the half-mile marker onward. Right up alongside the leader at the three-quarters pole and the head of the stretch, Rogue Hall came home strong, pacing a :26.4 final frame for a one-length victory in 1:55.2. Fast forward to April 20 and the bay was at it again. Starting from post eight in the nine-horse field, he had occupied the six-hole through the opening half-mile and had been tipped three wide at the three-quarters pole. Roaring home with another :26.4 final quarter-mile, Rogue Hall’s outcome was a 1:53.4 mile, triumphant by 1¾-lengths.

“I always thought a lot of him training down as a two-year-old,” Laarman said. “We baby raced him and he didn’t come out 100 per cent. We tried again in the fall and he still didn’t come out well. He was still growing and got a bit colt sore.”

Co-owned by Campbellville’s Robert Grand Holdings and Wallenstein, Ontario’s Glenview Livestock, Rogue Hall was quit with after August 29 of last year and was qualified back on April 6 at Mohawk. To no surprise, Rogue Hall had come from off the pace, as he scored in 1:58.2 by five lengths.

“We’ve been teaching him how to race [in his two starts],” Laarman said of Rogue Hall, who has been driven by Paul MacDonell in his three times on track this year. “We haven’t had much choice but to come from off the pace with him due to the way he has drawn.

“He has been doing better than we thought he would. I didn’t think that he would be this good this early; I’ve been a little surprised.”

Bred by Kentucky’s Walnut Hall Limited, Rogue Hall has been staked aggressively early according to Laarman.

“He’s paid into the Burlington [C$300,000 Burlington Stakes, June 5 at Mohawk] and the [C$1.5 million] North America Cup [June 19 at Woodbine],” explained Laarman. “After that we are going to give him a little bit of a break and he’ll hopefully be ready for stakes later in the year because he is also paid into the Little Brown Jug and the Breeders’ Crown.”

But before Rogue Hall gets ahead of himself he will have to deal with some pretty tough customers tomorrow evening during Mohawk’s tenth dash (10:40 p.m.).

Again set to host MacDonell in his sulky, Rogue Hall will be battling Duca, Big League Barry, Ponder and Dream Possession after the gate swings away.

Also on Friday, the C$48,000 Junior Free For All trot (Race 2, 8:00 p.m.) will go early in the card and the C$48,000 Fillies And Mares Open pace (Race 6, 9:20 p.m.) will also precede the second leg of the Mohawk Series.

First race post time is 7:40 p.m.

The complete field for the second leg of the Mohawk Series is as follows:

1 – Winfromheretohere – M. Vanderkemp – M. Vanderkemp – 8-1

2 – Mata Harry – C. Christoforou – D. McCall – 25-1

3 – Duca – Ra. Waples – N. Varty – 7-2

4 – Big League Barry – M. Baillargeon – B. Baillargeon – 5-2

5 – Ponder – S. Condren – R. McIntosh – 7-2

6 – Rogue Hall – P. MacDonell – R. Laarman – 4-1

7 – Dream Possession – L. Ouellette – J. Gillis – 9-2