Taurasi back on top at Mohawk

Taurasi (Racing Hill) climbed back atop Canada’s free-for-all pacing ranks as the gelding went all the way in the Saturday (Aug. 10) $36,000 Preferred at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Doug McNair and the gelding asserted themselves on the front, heading the field of five through :28.1, :56.2, and 1:24 fractions. Taurasi fired clear as he straightened into the lane, and he glided home to a three-and-three-quarter-length score in 1:49.4. Jabberwocky (Trevor Henry) topped the remaining horses with Write Me A Rose (Louis-Philippe Roy) third.

TAURASI REPLAY

Taurasi has now won the top pacing class at Mohawk Park 10 times this year in 12 appearances. He also finished third in the Pacey Mindlin Invitational and second in the Mohawk Gold Cup. He was third after battling on the front last week in his return from two disappointing outings in U.S. stakes. He has racked up 22 wins and $639,346 in 47 lifetime appearances. Gregg McNair conditions the five-year-old for Brad Grant of Milton and Alagna Racing of Jackson.

Elsewhere on the card, high-class pacing mare Dabarndawgswatchin (Hes Watching) crushed conditioned rivals in her second start off the layoff. The Dave Menary trainee grabbed front-end control going down the backstretch and extended her lead to five-and-three-quarter lengths in the final quarter for a 1:50.2 victory.

Ellas Reason A (Sylvain Filion) got up on the line to beat Bluemea Kiss (Doug McNair) for place.

DABARNDAWGSWATCHIN REPLAY

Dabarndawgswatchin’s win was her 100th lifetime start and 22nd tally for owner/breeders Julia Ferguson and Lloyd Stone.  The six-year-old mare was a yearlong top-level contender last year but is two-for-10 in 2024.

Also on the card, trainer John Pentland reached $10 million in career earnings. After missing a cheque with Swift Talker in the first, Ontario Sires Stakes filly Sorcha Seelster (All Bets Off) captured a conditioned event by a nose in 1:51.2. The win brought Pentland’s total to $10,004,720. He made his training debut in 1992 and has since won 436 of 2,916 starts.

SORCHA SEELSTER/JOHN PENTLAND MILESTONE REPLAY

Racing will resume at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, Aug. 12 at 7:10 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink