Winners Bet soars home to score in $665,000 Wellwood Memorial

Winners Bet (Walner) locked up a spot in the Mohawk Million as he flew down the stretch to capture the $665,000 William Wellwood Memorial for two-year-old harness racing trotters on Saturday (Aug. 27) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Dexter Dunn slotted the colt into fifth position and watched a front-end battle play out through :27.4 and :56.1 first-half fractions. He left the cones as the field swung into the final turn and tipped wide as the field hit three-quarters in 1:25.

Winners Bet mowed down all three remaining rivals in the stretch drive and stopped the clock in 1:54.1 as he secured the victory and a third straight win for Dunn.

International Man (Yannick Gingras) provided the winner cover and was home second-fastest for a Lindy Farms one-two. Ghostly Casper (Sylvain Filion) closed for third.

WINNERS BET REPLAY

With the victory, Winners Bet is entitled to a free entry into the $1 million Mohawk Million. Domenico Cecere trains the colt, who has now won three straight including a division of the Kindergarten Series. The Enfield-based Lindy Farms of Connecticut shares ownership of the colt with Robert Rudolph of Vineland.

The Wellwood Memorial was the feature race of the evening on a stakes-filled card at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Below is coverage of each race on the night.

$362,000 Peaceful Way – two-year-old trotting fillies

Righetous Resolve (Resolve) extended her winning streak to four with a final turn blitz to the front to take the Peaceful Way final.

Paul MacDonell kept the filly tucked away fourth behind an early pace duel that produced a :27.3 first quarter. Warrawee Yes (Louis-Philippe Roy) took the field to the half in :57 but came under pressure from the first-up Righteous Resolve approaching three-quarters in 1:26.2.

Righteous Resolve muscled past that foe before straightening for home and cruised to the wire under wraps to take home the trophy in 1:55.2. Graceful Patty (Doug McNair) finished gamely and was a length-and-a-half adrift in second. Shesundertheradar (Sylvain Filion) took show.

RIGHTEOUS RESOLVE REPLAY

John Bax trains Righeteous Resolve, who has lost only once in six career outings. She is a two-time winner in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold series and has raked in $331,525 in her rookie season. Owners Bet Max Stables of Casco and Benenati Inc. of Clinton Township also bred the filly.

In his post-race interview, Bax discussed the possibility of trying for the Mohawk Million with the filly.

“Talk to the owners, maybe the Mohawk Million. I’d like to see them do it,” he said. “You want to make sure she’s healthy and you’re wanting to make as much as you can with her without jeopardizing next year.”

$40,000 Candian Pacing Derby eliminations – three-year-old and up pacers

Canadian star Jimmy Freight (Sportswriter) showed promising progress in his second start back from injury as he closed at the pylons to win the first elimination.

Louis-Philippe Roy gave the seven-year-old stallion a three-hole trip through :27.4, :56.1, and 1:22.4 fractions. Leader Warrawee Vital (Trevor Henry) and pocket-sitter Lous Pearlman (Yannick Gingras) cleared the way for Jimmy Freight as they straightened into the lane, and the stallion took flight in a :25.4 last quarter to score in 1:49.1.

Warrawee Vital was a length-and-a-quarter back in second. Poseidon Seelster (Bob McClure) headed a blanket finish for third; Lous Pearlman and Rockyroad Hanover (Todd McCarthy) took fourth and fifth in the photo, respectively.

JIMMY FREIGHT REPLAY

Jimmy Freight has now won 33 times in 74 outings. The Richard Moreau-trained stallion, now owned by Let It Ride Stables and Jimmy Freight Stable, has earned $1,831,750. He was ranked as the top horse in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll for several weeks earlier in the season before sustaining an injury in transit. He finished second by a nose in his return after two months away on Aug. 19 at Harrah’s Philadelphia. His victories this season include the Mohawk Gold Cup and Camluck Classic.

“Jimmy Freight made it look so easy for me,” said Roy in his post-race interview. “It makes my job easy. You can do whatever you want. You’re almost never in a bad position – bad spot. You just respect the horse a little bit and he’s going to give you all he has.”

The sport’s fastest horse, Bulldog Hanover (Shadow Play), won as expected in an impressive 1:48 clocking in the second elimination of the Canadian Pacing Derby.

He left slowly and entered the first turn in sixth. Dexter Dunn showed the four-year-old to the pylons where he remained through :26.2 and :54.1 opening panels before pulling second-over on the backstretch.

Dunn kept the stallion behind the first-over Desperate Man (Trevor Henry), who attacked Tattoo Artist (James MacDonald) to three-quarters in 1:21.2. Bulldog Hanover fanned out at the head of lane and rolled by Desperate Man to take the lead and the victory.

He cruised two-and-a-half lengths clear of Desperate Man, who held second over Tattoo Artist. Abuckabett Hanover (Tim Tetrick) and Workin Ona Mystery (Dave Miller) locked up the remaining spots in the final.

BULLDOG HANOVER REPLAY

Bulldog Hanover is now nine-for-10 this season with wins in the Dan Patch, W.R. Haughton Memorial, Graduate Series final, and Roll With Joe, among others. John Darling trains the stallion, who became the fastest Standardbred ever in 1:45.4 on Jul. 16, for Jack Darling Stables of Cambridge and Brad Grant of Milton.

“I was just a little bit nervous because it wasn’t the plan,” said Darling on the broadcast about the opening quarter. “But I’ve actually been hoping that he could catch a trip like that and just race from behind just one of these times. Dexter – he’s a great driver and he just knows what to do, and he gave him the perfect steer.

“I like to say he’s a phenomenal horse, he’s got a great driver, an excellent caretaker, a lucky trainer and a couple lucky owners.”

The $600,000E Canadian Pacing Derby final is set for Saturday, Aug. 27 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The top five finishers from each elimination made the final.

The post positions are as follows:

1 – Rockyroad Hanover (Captaintreacherous)
​2 – Jimmy Freight (Sportswriter)
​3 – Abuckabett Hanover (Betting Line)
​4 – Bulldog Hanover (Shadow Play)
​5 – Poseidon Hanover (Sunshine Beach)
​6 – Desperate Man (Shadow Play)
​7 – Lous Pearlman (Sweet Lou)
​8 – Tattoo Artist (Hes Watching)
​9 – Workin Ona Mystery (Captaintreacherous)
​10 – Warrawee Vital (Captaintreacherous)
​AE – My Pal Joe (Roll With Joe)

$256,300 Nassagaweya – two divisions – two-year-old pacers

Save America (Captaintreacherous) rose to the task assigned by his 1/5 billing and captured the first division of the Nassagaweya.

Yannick Gingras hurried the colt forward from post eight and plugged along on the outside through the quarter mile marker in :26.3. The duo hit the top at three-eighths and continued to the half in :56.1 before increasing tempo to a three-quarter time of 1:24.3.

Write Me A Rose (Sylvain Filion) and pocket-sitter Captain Batboy (Tim Tetrick) chased him down the lane, but Save America prevailed under light encouragement in 1:51.4. Captain Batboy re-rallied to take second over Write Me A Rose and narrow the margin to a length-and-a-half.

SAVE AMERICA REPLAY

Save America, trained by Nancy Takter for the 3 Brothers Stables and Caviart Farms, is now two-for-three lifetime. He broke his maiden in a Kindergarten division at The Meadowlands on Aug. 4 and has earned $76,225.

“He’s a very honest colt and he always gives everything that he has,” Takter said in her post-race interview. “He can be a little lazy though sometimes, so I was just hoping that he didn’t get surprised and just get outsprinted, but he’s a professional and I’m super happy with him.”

U.S. invader Tickertape Hanover (Huntsville) broke his maiden with a two-length score in the second split

Tickertape Hanover in his Nassagaweya win (New Image Media Photo)He was third away from the pylon post for Dexter Dunn and watched as Huntinthelastdolar (Doug McNair) popped the pocket after a :27.2 first quarter. Tickertape Hanover followed his lead just past the half in :56.3 and was on top in a flash.

The colt hit three-quarters in 1:24 and roared three-lengths clear in the stretch. Ace Of Aces (James MacDonald) lessened the margin late, but Tickertape Hanover was well clear under wraps and finished the mile in 1:51.2. Stormalong (Bob McClure) also closed late and landed third.

“He’s a beautiful colt, if you look at him physically he’s very strong. When you sit behind him he gives you that feeling of power, “ said Dunn in his post-race interview “I was pretty happy where I was, I took a shot and made a move. He’s the type of colt that once I got him rolling in top gear he carried it a long way.”

TICKERTAPE HANOVER REPLAY

Tickertape Hanover, trained by Linda Toscano, finished second on Aug. 4 in the Kindergarten Series and picked up a place cheque in the New York Sire Stakes two weeks prior. He is now one-for-five lifetime with an $85,950 bankroll for 3 Brothers Stables of New York and Caviart Farms of Vienna (VA).

“He was a nice colt (training down, he really didn’t do anything wrong, he was a big growthy colt; it took a little longer to get him going but he did everything I asked him to do,” Toscano said on the broadcast. “Scotty (Zeron) laid a great foundation and I’m finally glad to break his maiden.

“I’ve been under no pressure whatsoever by the owners. They told me to do what I wanted – they’re thinking toward the end of the year and getting towards these Grand Circuit races, and he’s come into it perfectly. I’m going to take him home tomorrow morning and then bring him back up for the Metro elimination.”

$235,500 Eternal Camnation – two divisions – two-year-old pacing fillies

Bankers Luck (Hes Watching) bombed home from the backfield and withstood the upset-minded Windsun Tiara to take the first Eternal Camnation division.

The filly was rough-gaited in the sprint to the first turn but found a seat in the six-hole near the quarter in :26.4. Leader Treacherous Penny (Todd McCarthy) laid down :55.3 and 1:23.1 middle panels with Bankers Luck gapping cover seven lengths back on the final bend.

Bankers Luck began to find her stride at headstretch and flew past the top two to strike the front with a few meters remaining and seal the score in 1:52.1. Windsun Tiara (American Ideal) also closed rapidly but ran out of racetrack and was short by a neck. Treacherous Penny held on for third. The winner returned $6.80 as the co-favourite.

BANKERS LUCK REPLAY

The victory was Banker’s Luck’s first in a major stake. The Tony Alagna pupil’s other two tallies came in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots and the Whenuwishuponastar second leg. Breeder Brittany Farms of Lexington owns the filly, who is now three-for-six lifetime with $115,754 in earnings.

Sylvia Hanover (Always B Miki) had to do all the work first-over in the second division, but the filly powered through and claimed a narrow victory in a new career best of 1:50.4.

She raced fourth on the rail for Bob McClure behind battling leaders through :26.4 and :55.2 panels before launching a first-up assault into the far turn. Leader Caviart Davia dug in as they tore past three-quarters in 1:23.1 and into the stretch.

Caviart Davia kicked out to a two-length cushion, but Sylvia Hanover had tracked her down once more by mid-stretch. The two fought toe-to-toe to the beam and Sylvia Hanover kept her head in front for the victory. Bellisima Hanover (Todd McCarthy) finished third.

SYLVIA HANOVER REPLAY

Sylvia Hanover has won three of her four starts for trainer Shawn Steacy and owners Hudson Standardbred Stable. The filly also won the first leg and final of the Whenuwishuponastar and holds a bankroll of $117,825.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink