Milton, ON – Woodbine Mohawk Park is set to host eliminations this weekend for the Grade 1 Metro Pace and Grade 1 Elegantimage.
The Metro Pace, for 2-year-old pacers, will have a pair of six-horse eliminations on Saturday night (Sept. 19) to determine the field for the C$1 million final. The Elegantimage, for 3-year-old filly trotters, has two nine-horse eliminations on Friday (Sept. 18) to decide the spots in the C$400,000 final.
The first C$40,000 elimination for the Metro Pace will see Shalom Hanover put his undefeated record on the line for driver Louis-Philippe Roy and trainer Dr. Ian Moore.
A son of Papi Rob Hanover, Shalom Hanover is six for six going into the Metro elimination and will look to give Dr. Moore back-to-back wins in the richest race for rookies after winning last year with Beau Jangles.
Shalom Hanover’s six wins include scores in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes final, Nassagaweya (G3) and Dream Maker (G3). His current mark sits at 1:49.2.
Dr. Moore will also send out Cattletracks, who enters off a 1:50.1 win in last Saturday’s Champlain Stakes (G3).
New York Sires Stakes standout Rose Run Cowboy makes his Mohawk debut for trainer Ron Burke. The son of Huntsville has three wins and six top-three finishes from seven starts. His most recent outing was second in a photo finish in last weekend’s $300,000 New York Sires Stakes final. Yannick Gingras is listed to drive the winner of $239,641.
The second Metro elimination appears to be wide open on paper, as all six of the entrants have one or two wins on their record.
Burke trainee Eastie Boy is the highest earner at $163,462 in seven starts. The son of Sweet Lou is a two-time winner and was third in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes final last time out. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. is listed to drive.
Mascarpone gives Dr. Moore another entrant in the Metro eliminations. The son of Stay Hungry has two wins and $93,317 earned in seven starts. He posted a significant victory on Aug. 29 at Mohawk by winning a division of the Nassagaweya (G3). Scott Zeron gets the driving assignment.
The full fields for the Metro Pace eliminations are listed below.
Race 2 – Metro Pace – Elimination #1
1 – Th Theo (Doug McNair/Gregg McNair)
2 – Th Benedict (James MacDonald/Tony O’Sullivan)
3 – Rose Run Cowboy (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
4 – Cattletracks (Louis Roy/Dr. Ian Moore)
5 – Shalom Hanover (Louis Roy/Dr. Ian Moore)
6 – L A Captain (James MacDonald/Luc Blais)
Race 7 – Metro Pace – Elimination #2
1 – Vanqueur (Dexter Dunn/Andrew Harris)
2 – Mascarpone (Scott Zeron/Dr. Ian Moore)
3 – Big D Energy (Mark MacDonald/Herb Holland)
4 – High Rise Hanover (J.R. Plante/Nicky Comegna)
5 – Eastie Boy (Ronnie Wrenn/Ron Burke)
6 – Global Choice (Mark MacDonald/Garry Merner)
The first C$35,000 Elegantimage elimination on Friday features last year’s Breeders Crown winner Storybook Love.
Trained by Matt Bax, Storybook Love memorably deked through rivals to rally for victory in last October’s Breeders Crown at Mohawk. The daughter of Chapter Seven struggled to get back to the winner’s circle this season until capturing a division of the Simcoe Stakes (G3) on Sept. 4.
Storybook Love followed up her Simcoe win with a runner-up finish in last Saturday’s $300,000 New York Sires Stakes final. Todd Ratchford has been her exclusive driver at age 3. She’s posted one win and seven top three finishes from 12 starts this season for $200,302 in earnings.
The Nancy Takter-trained Leading Lady has the highest earnings this season at north of $218,574. The daughter of Walner has just one win this year, but nine in the money finishes from 12 outings. Just like Storybook Love, Leading Lady also enters off a second-place finish, having grabbed runner-up in the $250,000 New Jersey Classic last Friday.
New York Sires Stakes champion Sharp Seven headlines the second Elegantimage split.
George Ducharme ships in Sharp Seven off her win in the $300,000 event last Saturday and sporting a seasonal record of five wins, seven top two finishes and $309,700 earned from 12 starts. Jason Bartlett is listed to drive the daughter of Chapter Seven.
Top Ontario Sires Stakes performer Cher Hill will also line up in the second split. The Gregg McNair trained daughter of Muscle Mass is coming in off a 6-1/4-length victory last Friday. She’s posted four wins and earned $165,340 in 10 starts this year. Doug McNair will drive.
Ake Svanstedt’s Busy Miss Lissy S is also in the second elimination. The daughter of Calgary Games has just seven starts this season, posting three wins. She has not raced since Aug. 18 when she won a consolation of the Delmonica Hanover at Pocono.
The fields for the Elegantimage eliminations are listed below:
Race 3 – Elegantimage – Elimination #1
1 – Upto Laura Hanover (Steve Hudon/Laura Toscani)
2 – Nuance (James MacDonald/Marcus Melander)
3 – Sugar Packet (Jody Jamieson/Blake MacIntosh)
4 – Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford/Matt Bax)
5 – R Ro (Jody Jamieson/Susie Kerwood)
6 – Leading Lady (Jason Bartlett/Nancy Takter)
7 – Sparks (Ake Svanstedt/Ake Svanstedt)
8 – Pats Queen (Scott Young/Rod Hughes)
9 – Courtney’s Promise (Trevor Henry/Rick Zeron)
Race 7 – Elegantimage – Elimination #2
1 – Lainey W (James MacDonald/Marcus Melander)
2 – I’ll Have The Red (Trevor Henry/Rick Zeron)
3 – Cher Hill (Doug McNair/Gregg McNair)
4 – Kngtstlkrs Games (Louis Roy/Peter Shody)
5 – Th Trix R Forkids (Mark MacDonald/Murray Brethour)
6 – Busy Miss Lissy S (Ake Svanstedt/Ake Svanstedt)
7 – Sharp Seven (Jason Bartlett/George Ducharme)
8 – Denarius (Jason Bartlett/Nancy Takter)
9 – Shimmering Hanover (Bob McClure/Luc Blais)
The top five finishers in each elimination advance to the finals. Elimination winners draw for posts 2 through 6.
Post time for Friday and Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park is 6:30 p.m. (EDT).