Highland Mowgli slashes track record

SARNIA, JULY 3, 2021 – Hiawatha Horse Park fans, on site for the first time this year, were treated to four stellar performances by Ontario’s talented three-year-old trotting colts on Saturday afternoon, culminating in a harness racing track record effort by Highland Mowgli in the final $22,500 Grassroots division.

Starting from Post 3, driver Louis-Philippe Roy sent Highland Mowgli straight to the front and led the field of 10 to a :28.3 opening quarter. From that point on Roy had his foot firmly on the accelerator and fan favourite Highland Mowgli reeled off a :56.1 half and 1:25 three-quarters before powering under the wire in 1:54.3, 10 and one-half lengths ahead of Stonebridge Armour and Splash Of Halo. The mile stripped three-fifths of a second off the former 1:55.1 track record, set by aged trotters Abbey Road C and Bankable in 2003.

“We’re pretty excited,” said trainer Amanda Fine of Guelph, ON. “I think we’re going to have a great year with him and enjoy the ride.”

The win was the first of the season for Highland Mowgli, who had delivered two sharp second-place efforts at Woodbine Mohawk Park in June. Fine and her co-owner Highland Thoroughbred Farm of Inglewood, ON considered making the leap up to the Gold Series with the son of Archangel, but opted to return to the Grassroots level where he was a two-time winner last season.

“He’s definitely capable of the Golds I believe, but he’s going to have to trot 1:53, 1:54, maybe even 1:52 in the Golds every week,” said Fine, adding that the colt’s size was a factor in the decision. “I was really looking forward to this horse at three, because at two he just had such a big heart, but he really didn’t grow up much. He didn’t fill out as much as I thought he would, and he was still stud, so I was hoping he would fill into himself a bit, but he definitely trained back much stronger than he did at two.”

Highland Mowgli may get his shot at the Gold Series colts in the next leg as both the Grassroots and Gold events will be held over the Rideau Carleton Raceway five-eighths mile oval on July 11.

Roy also captured the second $22,500 Grassroots division, steering Sweet Soul David to a front end score in 1:56.3. Fan favourite Walkonthemoon finished one and three-quarter lengths back in second and Arch Hall rounded out the top three.

“He’s a nice, handy little horse,” said Guelph resident Roy, who was making his first appearance in the Kadabra gelding’s race bike. “He’s just a Cadillac to drive.”

Patrick Lang of Ancaster trains Sweet Soul David for his co-owners Simon Swindells of Little Britain, Garth Bechtel of Meaford and Paul Kleinpaste of Orangeville, ON. Saturday’s outing was Sweet Soul David’s first at the Grassroots level and marked his first win of the sophomore campaign. The gelding was a regular in the Gold Series as a two-year-old.

Muscle Jack picked up his third sophomore win in the first Grassroots division, trotting home a three-quarter length winner over GQ Magic in 1:57. All The Trimmins was well behind the leaders in third.

“He wasn’t as good today warming up and Blake (MacIntosh) made a few last minute changes,” said driver Jody Jamieson of the fan favourite. “But when he saw the gate he was all business and won really pretty handily.”

Blake MacIntosh of St. George, ON trains Muscle Jack and shares ownership of the Muscle Mass son with Hutt Racing Stable of Malvern, PA and Mortgage Boys Stable of Fayetteville, NY.

The other $22,500 division saw Rosies War Bonds upset fan favourite Kilauea with a late move, powering down the stretch to a 1:56.4 victory. Kilauea settled for third, three and three-quarter lengths behind the winner, and Johnny Ping was well back in third.

“He looked like a different horse there, he looked like a racehorse,” said trainer John Bax. “The first of the year we had trouble with him tying up and he’s actually in the indoor-outdoor paddock and that seems to have helped his blood quite a bit, just being able to walk all the time, because he’s kind of a big, you know I wouldn’t call him muscle bound, but he’s big and heavy. So maybe it’s just got him a little freer.

“If I had to give an adjective for him, I would just say he’s a grinder, goes the same speed the whole mile, the same at the end as he does at the start. There’s never been any real brush to him. I’m hoping that he’s turned a corner.”

The trainer’s son, Matt Bax, drove Rosies War Bonds to the win for the Bax Stable of Campbellville, ON, Richard Gutnick of Blue Bell, PA, Thomas Pontone of Holmdel, NJ and Joseph Lozito, Jr. of Wayne, NJ. The Muscle Mass son is a full sister to Riveting Rosie, who earned $973,336 in her racing career for Bax and his partners.

Complete results for Saturday’s program are available here and replays can be found on Hiawatha Horse Park’s YouTube channel.

Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Hiawatha Horse Park on July 31 with Grassroots action for the two-year-old trotting colts. The Sarnia oval will also host legs of the Ontario Racing Prospect Series on July 10 (two-year-old trotting fillies) and 17 (three-year-old pacing colts).

For full race results, click here.

From the Ontario Sires Stakes