Grand Circuit action, NA Cup preps complete

Many of Canada’s biggest rising stars shone at Woodbine Mohawk Park as the Campbellville, Ont. harness racing track hosted seven Grand Circuit stakes divisions worth more than $850,000 on Saturday.

The Somebeachsomewhere — three-year-old pacers — total purse: $171,500

Bulldog Hanover asserted himself as the favourite going into the Pepsi North America Cup with a three-length victory in the second division of the Somebeachsomewhere.

The Shadow Play colt occupied the three-hole when departing from the start but vaulted to the top after leader Bettor Sun (James MacDonald) hit the first quarter station in :27.2. Jody Jamieson piloted Bulldog Hanover to :55.1 and 1:22.1 middle splits, and the colt took off in the stretch under mild urging. He breezed to the finish and stopped the clock in 1:48.2, a new lifetime mark.

Bettor Sun finished second. Jimmy Connor B (Doug McNair) was a length behind him in third.

BULLDOG HANOVER REPLAY

The John Darling trainee has won five of seven starts this season, including three Ontario Sires Stakes Gold, for a yearly bankroll of $303,961. Overall, the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner is 9-for-13 with $552,811 in earnings. Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge owns the colt with Brad Grant of Milton.

“We were just hoping for a big effort like this going into the NA Cup next week,” Darling said after the race. “Last week he was good, but not as good as he had been, and Jody said he was just kind of spinning his wheels a little bit. So we just made some alterations on his shoeing, and it seemed to help. Really, really happy now going into the NA Cup.”

Whichwaytothebeach, fresh of a victory in the Hempt Consolation, shipped to Mohawk and got up for the first division win.

Sylvain Filion sent the son of the race’s namesake forward from post five but slid in third as Stonebridge Rex (McNair) and Desperate Man (Trevor Henry) left quicker. Filion maintained the three-hole with the gelding as Stonebridge Rex led through a :26.3 first quarter and a :55.2 half. Whichwaytothebeach was flushed out as the field advanced to three-quarters in 1:23.1, and he gained rapidly on the leader while turning for home. Stonebridge Rex stopped the advance as they entered the stretch, but a relentless Whichwaytothebeach finished faster and soared by him for the victory in 1:49.2.

Desperate Man flew late and came within a half-length of the leader, finishing second. Pirate Hanover (Jamieson) won a photo for show over Stonebridge Rex.

“I’ve been told by people who work with the horse that he likes to chase horses,” Filion said post-race. “I was happy to get in the three-hole and stay there as long as I could, and then I had to move him first-up, and I just grinded myself to the front, and he kept going. He raced really huge.”

WHICHWAYTOTHEBEACHREPLAY

Whichwaytothebeach, a $45,000 Lexington Select sale purchase, is now 11-for-18 and has earned $332,783 in his career. Brett Pelling conditions the gelding for Alan Johnston of Syracuse and John Craig of North York.

The Eternal Camnation — two-year-old pacing fillies — total purse: $227,300

Prohibition Legal kept her undefeated status intact as she brushed and crushed in the $113,650 second division of the Eternal Camnation.

The daughter of Big Jim tucked into the three-hole for MacDonald but was rolling soon after Treacherous Kiss (Yannick Gingras) clocked a :27.4 first quarter on the lead. Prohibition Legal breezed past her before three-eighths and set a :56 half while leading single-file foes down the backstretch. She passed three-quarters in 1:24.3 as rivals swerved on and off the pylons behind her, and she left them all behind as she kicked away at headstretch. MacDonald’s job was finished at the eighth pole, and the filly sailed to the line for a 1:52.3 score.

Smuggle Tina (Bob McClure) roared up late for second, crossing the line a length and three quarters short of the winner. Treacherous Kiss held show.

PROHIBITION LEGAL REPLAY

Prohibition Legal is now four-for-four after winning three consecutive Golds to begin her career. She has amassed earnings of $192,691 for owner and breeder Millar Farms of Stouffville. Nick Gallucci trains the filly.

Fade Out flew late after a four-hole trip and scored a second career win while smashing her previous best time in the first group.

The Sportswriter filly dropped back from the rail and allowed three foes past her early. Driver McNair remained patient through the :27.4 first quarter mile and the :56.1 half before activating her second-over while travelling to three-quarters in :56.1. The top three held her to minimal gains as they swung past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and entered the lane, but Fade Out exploded in the last eighth of a mile and passed them all for the victory in 1:51.3.

Big Bettor Hanover (McClure) was second by a length and a quarter, beating out American Ticket (Gingras), who finished third. The win price was $6.20.

“Yannick kind of got things his own way up front, and I was thinking all along that Trevor was going to be moving if I waited him out,” McNair said post-race. “I waited until halfway around the far turn, and he moved his, and we got a really good tow, and it took us where we needed to be.”

FADE OUT REPLAY

“I thought after she qualified she was a decent filly,” McNair said. “I didn’t know she was this nice.”

Gregg McNair trains Big Bettor Hanover, a $20,000 Harrisburg purchase. He shares ownership with Dean Lockhart of Collingwood and McKinlay & Fielding of Toronto. The filly finished second in her Grassroots debut on Jul. 6 and followed it up with an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold triumph on Jul. 18. She galloped in her Battle of the Belles elimination and took place in another Gold on Aug. 17. Overall, she is two-for-five in her career and has earned $122,666.

The Simcoe — three-year-old pacing fillies — $169,500

Twin B Sunkissed took command in the second quarter and held her 10 foes behind as she earned her third straight victory in the Simcoe.

The daughter of Sunshine Beach slid into the two-hole entering the first turn but followed the favoured Voelz Delight (Filion) to the outside after passing the quarter mile marker in :26.3. Twin B Sunkissed settled into the commanding spot following a brief burst and headed the field to the half in :55.1 and three-quarters in 1:23.4 for driver Gingras. She then turned away first-up challenger Lady Arthur {MacDonald) and kept the closing Voelz Delight at bay for the 1:51.1 lifetime-best score.

Voelz Delight missed by three quarters of a length. She was another three quarters clear of Good Night Moon (Jamieson), who took show. The winner returned $5.30.

“Voelz [Hanover] is a really nice filly, but it was never in doubt,” Gingras said post-race. “I popped the plugs halfway down the stretch, but I was really confident.”

TWIN B SUNKISSED REPLAY

Twin B Sunkissed is now four-for-20 lifetime with $240,068 in earnings. Co-owner Francis Dumouchel trains the horse. He, along with Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy and 9174 7998 Quebec Inc. of St-Janvier-Mirabel, purchased her for $20,000 from the 2019 Harrisburg sale. The filly has now won three in a row.

“[Dumouchel] told me that she had some problems earlier in the season — tying up and some allergies — but he said ‘I think I got it figured out now,'” Gingras said. “Sylvain [Fillion] didn’t ask her for too much in her last two starts, and she won in hand, so I felt confident in the filly. I raced her once last year at Grand River, and she won, and I really liked her there. She’s a big strong filly, and [Dumouchel] has done a great job with her.”

The Nassagaweya — two-year-old pacers — total purse: $279,600

Bob Loblaw snagged a nailbiting victory in the second division, reaching up late over Betterhavemymoney in the $140,300 second split.

He was third-fastest off the car, but he inherited the pocket thanks to a break from Wearinmysixshooter (Gingras). Reinsman Filion kept Bob Loblaw tucked into that position as Atlas Hanover (McNair) cut :26.4, :57, and 1:26.2 panels on the lead. The first-up Betterhavemymoney (MacDonald) cleared the latter in the final eighth, but Bob Loblaw escaped to the outside late and surged to nail him by a nose in 1:52.4.

Betterhavemymoney, finishing second, was a length and a quarter clear of third-place finisher Atlas Hanover. The winner returned $15.70.

The gelded son of Sunshine Beach is trained, co-owned, and was co-bred by Mohawk Park track announcer Ken Middleton. David Walls and James Grant of Sarnia hold shares in the horse, along with Starting Centre Stables of Cambridge. Bob Loblaw is now two-for-seven lifetime. His other victory came in a Grassroots event on Jul. 9 after finishing sixth in his Jun. 25 debut. The horse then finished third in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold, broke in a Battle of Waterloo elimination, then finished third in a conditioned dash and another Gold. His earnings now total $107,927.

An emotional Middleton spoke about the late Hall of Fame communicator Bill Galvin, with whom he bred the horse, after the racecall.

“One guy who’s not [in the winner’s circle], and I dearly wish he was, was my late partner Bill Galvin,” he announced. “This is a homebred that Bill and I would’ve owned together. [I] took on some new partners this year, and what a thrill it’s been. Bill is here in spirit though, we all know that. And Bob Loblaw, he’s a Grand Circuit winner. That was exciting.”

Magical Arthur swooped by the leader on the final turn and stormed home to an upset victory in the $139,300 first division.

The son of Artspeak settled in third and followed the top two through :26.1 and :55.2 opening fractions. Filion tipped him to the outside and hustled him after leader Century Inspector (Tyler Moore) as the field of seven strolled through the third quarter, completing it in 1:24.2. Century Inspector gave way quickly, and Magical Arthur was clear by headstretch. Magical Arthur edged out a three-length advantage by the eighth pole and secured the victory in a lifetime-quickest 1:52.

Aviator (MacDonald) reeled the winner in late and finished second by a length and a half. Century Inspector held onto the show placing. The win price was $23.40.

MAGICAL ARTHUR REPLAY

“I was sitting there, hoping Sylvain would pull him, because I thought [Magical Arthur] had some ability to go with this bunch of horses” said trainer Anthony Beaton in his post-race interview. “I didn’t know how much, but obviously he showed us that he can go with them.”

Beaton trains the gelding for owner and breeder David Lumsden of Ancaster. After scratching sick on Jul. 3, the horse debuted in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event on Jul. 16 and was well-beaten. He then broke in a Battle of Waterloo elimination before finishing second in a conditioned dash on Aug. 3. The gelding broke his maiden one start later in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots, which Beaton said instilled confidence in the horse.

“Obviously we didn’t have him in tip-top shape to go in the Gold or the first couple,” Beaton said. “He got sick on me, and we kind of got put in a tough spot right off the hop in that first Gold. We just wanted to get some confidence in him with the Grassroots line.”

Magical Arthur is now two-for-five lifetime and has earned $84,825.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink