$550,000 in undercard stakes at Mohawk

MILTON, Ont.— A pair of $110,000 harness racing divisions of the Eternal Camnation saw public choices Chantilly (Big Jim) and Perfectly Chic (Betterthancheddar) deliver, while Boxer Seelster (Bettors Delight) returned double-digit dividends in the lone $230,000 division of the Nassagaweya Stakes on Saturday night (Aug. 24) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Millar Farms struck again with pacing-filly magic when their homebred Chantilly stayed unbeaten from four starts with a 1:51.3 stroll in the first Eternal Camnation division.

Leaving from post 8, driver James MacDonald floated Chantilly forward and marched up the rim through a :26.4 first quarter. She found a hole to tuck into entering the backstretch when Papis Opinion pulled from third to brush for the lead, but MacDonald only sat briefly. Chantilly gathered steam moving to a :55.3 half and stamped onto the lead heading for the final turn, from which point she had the race sealed.

After clicking past three-quarters in 1:24.1, Chantilly sprung for the finish to win geared down by 1-1/2 lengths over fast-closing Wicked N Single. Papis Opinion settled for third and Au Jus Hanover took fourth.

“She’s really calmed down every start she’s raced,” James MacDonald said after the race. “She doesn’t really like the headpole a lot, so she gets a little funny with her head jogging around, but once she gets on the gate she’s all business. Just a real pleasure to drive and a real speed demon. She’s a great horse and she’s learning to be a great horse.”

CHANTILLY REPLAY

Chantilly has now earned $187,500 from four starts. Nick Gallucci trains the filly for Millar Farms, which has found ample success over the years at Woodbine Mohawk Park especially with pacing fillies.

“I’ve had really great luck with Big Jim,” said George Millar after the race. “He’s out of a mare [that I] paid a lot of money for, but I bought her for breeding. I’ve got two sisters of her sitting on the farm and I’m anxious to get my hands on them. They look good.

“This is my first time in a couple of years I’ve come here and I feel good,” Millar also said. “As long as its James [MacDonald] driving and Chantilly racing, I’m going to come here. The only nicer thing I like is when he drives Prohibition Legal for me. I get goosebumps [from this filly]. I watch her brush in like a blink of an eye… I love the other fillies, but this one here has just got a little [different] turn of speed. James said Prohibition Legal vibes… I can see it.”

Sent the 1-9 favourite, Chantilly paid $2.10 to win.

Perfectly Chic delivered as the 4-5 favourite in the second Eternal Camnation division, pouncing to a 1:52.3 score.

Driver Bob McClure sent Perfectly Chic from post 6 for the top and cleared to a :27.3 first quarter, but she soon found herself riding a pocket trip as Cant See Me swooped to the lead before a :57.1 half. Perfectly Chic stayed engaged from the two-hole through the final turn and readied for a stretch sprint passing three-quarters in 1:25.1.

McClure tipped Perfectly Chic out and easily overhauled Cant See Me within the final eighth to register a three-quarter length win with Bonhomie Hanover charging from last for third. Always Dawn gave chase in fourth.

“You’re always nervous [with] a few weeks off before a Grand Circuit race,” trainer John Pentland said, referring to the filly’s scratch from the Battle of the Belles on Aug. 5. “She obviously had some time off because of what happened to her before that Grand River race. She kind of banged herself up. It was enough that it threw her off. We dealt with it and it looks like she’s maybe come back okay.”

“She felt good,” Bob McClure said. “Not quite a hundred percent, but good enough that I was confident in her. I was really just looking to leave and sit – I figured that was easier than trying to come around a whole bunch. I figured if I followed Dexter [Dunn] that I could be second and maybe give him a shot down the lane. But coming out of the last turn, she felt really good and I knew we had lots of time, so I wasn’t in a rush. When I moved her, she dug real deep. I’m real happy with her, and she’s been a pleasure to drive. I’m so lucky to do it with good friends of mine – John and Steve [Mihalic] too.”

PERFECTLY CHIC REPLAY

McClure co-owns Perfectly Chic through 2729346 Ontario Inc. with John Pentland and Steve Mihalic, who had custom t-shirts made celebrating Perfectly Chic ahead of the Battle of the Belles until she scratched.

“The highs and the lows in this business are so difficult,” Mihalic said. “I bought shirts for everyone [for the Battle of the Belles], then we had to scratch her, so that was disappointing. But today just makes up for it, and I thank John and Bob for what they’ve done with this horse. I’m just an innocent bystander here, and I just loved holding this trophy at my favourite track in North America. When you win races with your friends, it just means even more to you.”

Winning her second race from five starts, Perfectly Chic has now banked $99,600. She paid $3.80 to win.

Boxer Seelster bounded forward off a second-over ride to punch a 9-1 upset in the Nassagaweya, stopping the clock in 1:52.

Driver Trevor Henry positioned Boxer Seelster from post 2 into fourth as 3-5 favourite Prince Hal Hanover crossed to the top before a :26.4 first quarter. Henry flushed cover from Joel And The Jets after a :56.1 half and rode the tow around the final turn while Prince Hal Hanover readied for the challenge.

Past three-quarters in 1:25, Prince Hal Hanover held his ground and rebuffed Joel And The Jets, but Boxer Seelster hit the accelerator once given racetrack by Henry and hustled to the front in deep stretch to win edging away. Prince Hal Hanover settled for second, beaten 1-3/4 lengths, with 52-1 shot Brigade grabbing third and Ayeaye Captain Deo finishing fourth off a pocket ride.

“When I first drove him, he was a little iffy. And then when we qualified him back, Scott [McEneny] had him really good and I said ‘He’s a real nice colt,’” Trevor Henry said after the race. “He had to learn his gait; he was a little funny [and] he wasn’t one-hundred percent sound. But Scott’s got him sound now and he’s got some go.”

BOXER SEELSTER REPLAY

Boxer Seelster bagged his second win from four starts and has now earned $124,000 for owners Scott McEneny, Aristi Varsakis, Martwest Racing LP and Cantucky Farm Inc. McEneny trains the colt out of his former trainee Big Thong – a pedigree that convinced McEneny to add him to the barn from the yearling sales last fall.

“It was [Big Thong’s] first foal and she made me a lot of money, so we bought the first foal,” McEneny said. “I thought I’d have to pay more than I did for him, but I really liked him at the sale. I was very confident and I was really happy with him when he qualified. He looked like a different horse. I thought if we could get a trip that we’d have a shot against these guys.”

Boxer Seelster paid $20.50 to win.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ray Cotolo, for Woodbine Entertainment