Quebecois stallion wins seventh straight at Mohawk

G A Speed Expert (Sportswriter) extended his harness racing win streak to seven as he debuted for new connections in the Snowshoe Series opener at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday (Jan. 17).

The Quebec-bred floated out from post four and stuck to the outside, driving on through the quarter in :27.2 to take command on the backstretch. He cut a half of :55.1 and attempted to bottom out the field as he streaked away through three-quarters in 1:23.2.

G A Speed Expert marched away down the stretch with little effort required from driver Doug McNair. A Class Yankee (Mike Whelan) charged in the last eighth of a mile, but the leader was never in danger and came home a half-length winner in 1:51.4.

A Class Yankee was a sharp second with Betterdealmein (Travis Cullen) five further lengths back in third.

G A SPEED SAMMY REPLAY

G A Speed Expert is now nine-for-17 lifetime with $40,394 in earnings. He debuted last June and made every start on the Quebec/Eastern Ontario circuit until shipping into Mohawk in November. He then won back at Rideau Carleton on Dec. 15 before taking nearly a month off before Friday’s win, his seventh in a row. Dave Menary now trains the four-year-old for Jenn Bongiorno, who acquired him in late December.

The second Snowshoe Series division saw a dead heat between Grand Circuit gelding Miki Ray (Always B Miki) in his four-year-old bow and T H Boomtown (Captain Crunch). Miki Ray took over entering the turn and led all the way for J. Bradley Harris with T H Boomtown, driven by Bob McClure sitting the three-hole. T H Boomtown went by the pocket-sitter coming down the lane and reeled in Miki Ray, pulling level on the line to share the spoils in 1:55.3.

Lotto Max (McNair) was third by a length-and-three-quarters.

MIKI RAY/T H BOOMTOWN REPLAY

Miki Ray was making his return to Mohawk Park following a victory at The Meadowlands on Dec. 12 that preceded a one-month rest. The four-year-old is a three-time career winner and has banked $115,927 for owners William Pollock, Bruce Areman, and Andrew Harris. Harris trains the gelding.

T H Boomtown has now won three straight and 10 of his last 11 races. The gelding started his career in Delaware early last year before moving to Prince Edward Island, where he rattled off six consecutive scores. Owners Dr. Don Ling and Wayne Macdougall sent him to Ontario and trainer Tyler Moore in December. The four-year-old has $56,536 in the bank and 11 victories in 22 appearances.

The next leg of the Snowshoe Series is set for Friday, Jan. 24.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will conclude its race week on Saturday, Jan. 18 with a 12-race card starting at 6:30 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink