Celebrity Bambino in time in Canadian Trotting Classic elim

Celebrity Bambino (Muscle Hill) held on for a narrow victory after taking over in mid-stretch in the second $40,000 elimination of the Canadian Trotting Classic on Saturday (Sep. 16) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The odds-on choice got away fourth for Yannick Gingras and held position as Osceola (Louis-Philippe Roy) showed the way to :27.1 and :57 fractions in the first half. Little Expensive (Andy Miller) pulled from third entering the final turn, giving Celebrity Bambino perfect cover to three-quarters in 1:25.2.

Osceola held tough into the final eighth of a mile as Celebrity Bambino took flight and soared by Little Expensive. The pacesetter was soon too a victim, though, and Celebrity Bambino surged to the front with. The new leader became the target in the last 1/16th of a mile as Winners Bet (Dexter Dunn) took aim, but Celebrity Bambino kept his neck in front to score in 1:52.4.

Winners Bet was second, and Gaines Hanover (Sylvain Filion) closed with him to be third. Osceola faded to fourth, and Little Expensive finished fifth.

CELEBRITY BAMBINO REPLAY

It was the third win of the season for Celebrity Bambino, who finished fourth as the Hambletonian favourite. He had not won since his elimination for America’s Classic Trotting Race and finished fourth in his last try in the New Jersey Classic. The Ron Burke-trained colt’s record is now eight wins from 23 career starts and $606,070 in earnings. Burke co-owns him via Burke Racing Stable with J&T Silva Stables of Jericho, Knox Services of Mt. Vernon, and Phillip Collura of Mountain Top.

Up Your Deo (Walner) rebounded from a pair of defeats with a sharp victory in the second elimination.

Ake Svanstedt procured speed from the colt as they left from post one, securing a pocket ride behind Challenger (Dexter Dunn). The latter had full control as he set fractions of :27, :56.2, and 1:24.1, but Up Your Deo pulled out to test him as they straightened for home. Challeneger resisted into mid-stretch, but Up Your Deo vanquished him and rolled home with no further challenge for the 1:51.2 victory.

Hasty Bid (James MacDonald) got up for second with Chapercraz (Joe Bongiorno) alongside him in third. Tuscan Prince (Louis-Philippe Roy) was fourth, and Challenger (Dexter Dunn) held off Southwind Coors (Todd McCarthy) for fifth.

UP YOUR DEO REPLAY

Up Your Deo’s win was his fifth of the year. It came after back-to-back defeats in the New Jersey Classic elimination and final. The Svanstedt-trained colt won the Yonkers Trot and Beal Memorial earlier this season, and his bankroll has now  risen to $570,237. The time of 1:51.2 was also a new mark for the freshman. He is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc. of Wrightstown, Suleyman Yuksel Stables of Delray Beach, Deo Volente Farms of Flemington, and Van Camp Trotting of Port Perry.

The $600,000E final is set for Saturday, Sep. 23. The posts are now set and are listed below:

1 – Osceola
​2 – Hasty Bid
​3 – Challenger
​4 – Up Your Deo
​5 – Celebrity Bambino
​6 – Little Expensive
​7 – Winners Bet
​8 – Tuscan Prince
​9 – Gaines Hanover
​10 – Chapercraz
​AE – Ghostly Casper

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink