Forbidden Trade charges, wins first of the year

After three unsuccessful attempts to begin the year, former harness racing Horse of the Year Forbidden Trade (Kadabra) secured his first victory of the season on Monday (Jun. 6) with a late-closing effort in the Woodbine Mohawk Park Preferred Handicap.

The six-year-old stallion sat back in seventh for Bob McClure as Oney Hall (Doug McNair), coming off his first defeat in eight starts, blasted off from post nine and established front-end control at the quarter in :26.4. Oney Hall brought the field of nine to the half in :56.4 over a wet surface, and three left the pylons as they approached three-quarters in 1:25.4.

The leader broke stride at the eighth pole as Hey Livvy (Trevor Henry) and Dream Nation (Scott Young) rolled alongside, and the latter edged clear in mid-stretch. Forbidden Trade, rallying from sixth, then flew past both to score in 1:53.1.

He beat Dream Nation by half of a length. Hey Livvy finished third.

FORBIDDEN TRADE REPLAY

Forbidden Trade, the 2019 Hambletonian winner, has now won 22 of his 48 career starts and has earned $2,145,082. Luc Blais has been the horse’s lifetime trainer for Determination of Montreal.

Cool Clifford, another son of Kadabra, jogged in the first division of the Pop-Up Series first leg for trotters. Sylvain Filion guided the six-year-old gelding to the lead early, and Cool Clifford cruised through two turns before leaving his nine rivals behind in an eight-and-a-half-length victory in 1:55. Shoshie Deo (James MacDonald) finished second over My Mini Miracle (Henry).

COOL CLIFFORD REPLAY

Gabriella Sasso trains Cool Clifford for Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga and Jeff Courchesne of Cambridge. It was the gelding’s first win of the season in 14 tries. His lifetime record is now 13-for-92 with $268,540 in earnings.

Mystic completed the leg sweep for Kadabra in the second leg, sweeping past leaders in the stretch off a second-over journey for his first win of the season in 1:57.1. Holdin Aces (Louis-Philippe Roy) nipped Shes Got Pizazz (McClure) for place.

MYSTIC REPLAY

Mystic is now five-for-30 lifetime and lifted his bankroll to $118,261 with the victory, his first in 12 outings in 2022. Rene Dion trains the four-year-old gelding for Susanne Kerwood of Acton.

The track also held the first three-year-old trotting filly leg of Ontario Sires Stakes on Monday. To read the full story, click here.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will host its first Tuesday card of the season on Jun. 7.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink