Rideau gelding upsets at Mohawk

After a lifetime on the Eastern Ontario/Quebec harness racing circuit, Time To Dancing (Time To Roll) flew late to win his second-ever start at Woodbine Mohawk Park in the Pop-up Series consolation on Friday (Dec. 27).

The gelding, driven by Stephane Pouliot, left third and travelled on the pylons through :26.4 and :56.1 first-half fractions. He stayed in as favourite Day Trader (Trevor Henry) advanced on the final turn and was locked in fifth as the field hit three-quarters in 1:26.4.

The gelding was stuck in traffic into mid-stretch but found a seam and rolled through with a head of steam. He shot to the front in the last 1/16th of a mile and held off the closing Beyond Better (Jean Rene Plante) to prevail by a neck in 1:55.1.

Rays Kredit (James MacDonald) was third by a length.

TIME TO DANCING REPLAY

Time To Dancing has now won 20 races and has earned $120,018 from 115 career starts. He made the trip to Mohawk for the Pop-Up Series earlier this month and finished fifth in the second preliminary leg. He had raced his entire previous career in the Eastern Ontario/Quebec region and made every start at Rideau Carleton since Pouliot acquired him in summer 2022.

Control The Power (Control The Moment, Travis Cullen) dominated the Pop-Up Final. The six-year-old gelding led all the way and streaked clear to a four-and-a-quarter-length romp in 1:51.3, a new lifetime mark. Howmac Maximus (Damian MacLellan) was best of the rest, holding off Hf Pans Shadow (Ed Hensley) for place.

CONTROL THE POWER REPLAY

The race week concludes at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Dec. 28. First post is set for 7:10 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink