Canada’s elite pacers in action at Mohawk

Four harness racing events for aged open pacers headlined the action on Saturday (Apr. 14) at Woodbine Mohawk Park with a total of $141,000 dished out in those races.

So Much More (Big Jim, James MacDonald), 2022 Older Pacing Mare of the Year, blitzed out a 1:50.2 harness racing victory in the $42,000 Fillies and Mares Free For All.

She seized command passing the half and kept all challengers behind as she rolled to a 1:50.2 victory.

She was a length-and-a-half better than Need To Breathe (Travis Cullen), who finished second over Style For A Mile (Doug McNair).

SO MUCH MORE REPLAY

The winning mare now has four wins from 10 tries this season for $108,260 in money. Overall, So Much More is 61-for-135 with earnings of $1,335,095. She was Canada’s Older Pacing Mare of the Year in 2022 with 16 wins at the top level for fillies and mares. The coalition of Don Beatson of Granton, Kenneth Beatson of Palgrave, and Cole England of Exeter owns the mare. Beatson trains the seven-year-old.

Nautical Hanover (Captaintreacherous, Sylvain Filion), two weeks removed from winning the New Holland Pacing Series Final, held off perennial powerhouse Wheels On Fire (McNair) to take the $42,000 Free For All. Nautical Hanover showed the way through :27.2, :56.4, and 1:24.1 fractions. Wheels On Fire treaded water until late-stretch when he ignited up the inside but missed by a nose as Nautical Hanover won in 1:50.4. Saulsbrook Victor (Austin Sorrie) also gained down the stretch but had to settle for third.

NAUTICAL HANOVER REPLAY

The win was a bounce back from Nautical Hanover, who finished third last week after sweeping the New Holland Pacing Series. The Ben Baillargeon-trained stallion is now four-for-six this year. He has won nine of his 38 lifetime races and has earned $339,117. Richard Berthiaume of Pointe-Aux-Trembles owns the four-year-old.

The sub-featured Preferred-2 produced the fastest mile of the evening. Roll With The Flow (Roll With Joe, Bob McClure) tracked down pacesetter Points North (MacDonald) from the pocket and pulled a half-length clear as he stopped the timer in 1:49. Points North was second-best. Woodmere Stealdeal (Jonathan Drury) was third in a tight finish with Lets Tie One On (Cullen).

ROLL WITH THE FLOW REPLAY

Roll With The Flow’s career record now reads 13 wins and $249,363 in earnings from 43 appearances. The clocking of 1:49 was a new career mark for the gelding. Blake Macintosh conditions the four-year-old and co-owns him with Hutt Racing Stable of Malvern and Middlebrook Racing L P of Rensselaer.

The card also included the Ontario-sired Graduate Series Pace first leg for four-year-olds. Cold Creek Queso (Betterthancheddar, Filion) exploded out of the three-hole turning for home and rolled past leader Camara Moment (McNair) in the stretch. The latter fought futilely to the finish as Cold Creek Queso closed out the mile in 1:51.4 in his seasonal debut. Camara Moment was three-quarters-of-a-length adrift. Magical Arthur (Louis-Philippe Roy) took show money.

COLD CREEK QUESO REPLAY

Cold Creek Queso, who won the sophomore pacing male Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final last year, improved his career tally to eight wins in 25 starts with the victory. He has brought in $297,564 for owner Cold Creek Standardbred of Grafton. Murray Brethour trains the four-year-old.

The Ontario-sired Graduate Series for open pacers will consist of two more legs before the $75,000A final on May 6.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will see racing next on Monday, Apr. 17. The card will start at 7:00 p.m. EDT and feature a Preferred-2 Trot.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink