North America headlines lucrative Mohawk card on Saturday
One week after thoroughbred racing fans basked in the glory of seeing Justify capture the Grade I, $1.5 Belmont Stakes to become the Sport's 13th Triple Crown winner and second in the last four years, harness racing fans will turn their attention to Mohawk Raceway in Toronto, Canada, as the seven-eighths mile oval hosts a handful of six-figure finals for both gaits and genders.
Headlining the card is the latest edition of the Grade I, $1 million North America Cup final for three-year-old colt pacers and the race certainly offers plenty of intrigue after last week's three eliminations.
In fact, elim winners Stay Hungry, Wes Delight and Lather Up, the likely favorite for "Team Teague" and owner-breeders Gary & Barbara Iles, will duel for early supremacy in the sport's glamour division. Lather Up was the fastest elim winner last weekend courtesy of his 1:49.2 score with Montrell Teague in the bike, but Wes Delight (Corey Callahan) and Stay Hungry (Doug McNair) both displayed plenty of grit in their elim victories.
While much of the attention will be focused on the three elim winners, American History, Lost In Time, Done Well and Nutcracker Sweet all raced well in defeat last weekend and that quartet bears watching in the final. American History and Done Well were both well backed in their elim setbacks and both could offer some value in the penultimate, richest race on the card.
One race earlier the pacing fillies and mares will be on display in the $300,000 Roses Are Red final and elim winners Tequila Monday and Blazin Britches will get ample support, as should Shartin N, who overcame an early break and a placing to reach the final. Blue Moon Stride and L A Delight both have plenty of back class and both will be generous prices following last weekend.
One race earlier the three-year-old colt trotters will be the focus of the $266,000 Good Times final and one race earlier in will be sophomore pacing fillies in the limelight in the $400,000 Fan Hanover final. Saturday's sixth race is the $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup for older pacers, one race earlier the track will host the $75,000 North America Cup consolation and two races prior it will offer the $250,000 Armbro Flight for older trotting mares where reigning horse of the year, Hannelore Hanover, and Emoticon Hanover will vie for early bragging rights in this division.
Last night at Harrington Raceway in Delaware, Slick Tony (Russell Foster) overcame a first over journey to edge Transitioning Joy (Montrell Teague) in the first $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund elim opening round in 1:53.4. Slick Tony has won all three $100,000 finals thus far for his division for owner-breeder-trainer George "Ronnie" Leager. In the other split, America First (Jeff Fout) posted a mild 4-1 upset in 1:55.
Headlining the card is the latest edition of the Grade I, $1 million North America Cup final for three-year-old colt pacers and the race certainly offers plenty of intrigue after last week's three eliminations.
In fact, elim winners Stay Hungry, Wes Delight and Lather Up, the likely favorite for "Team Teague" and owner-breeders Gary & Barbara Iles, will duel for early supremacy in the sport's glamour division. Lather Up was the fastest elim winner last weekend courtesy of his 1:49.2 score with Montrell Teague in the bike, but Wes Delight (Corey Callahan) and Stay Hungry (Doug McNair) both displayed plenty of grit in their elim victories.
While much of the attention will be focused on the three elim winners, American History, Lost In Time, Done Well and Nutcracker Sweet all raced well in defeat last weekend and that quartet bears watching in the final. American History and Done Well were both well backed in their elim setbacks and both could offer some value in the penultimate, richest race on the card.
One race earlier the pacing fillies and mares will be on display in the $300,000 Roses Are Red final and elim winners Tequila Monday and Blazin Britches will get ample support, as should Shartin N, who overcame an early break and a placing to reach the final. Blue Moon Stride and L A Delight both have plenty of back class and both will be generous prices following last weekend.
One race earlier the three-year-old colt trotters will be the focus of the $266,000 Good Times final and one race earlier in will be sophomore pacing fillies in the limelight in the $400,000 Fan Hanover final. Saturday's sixth race is the $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup for older pacers, one race earlier the track will host the $75,000 North America Cup consolation and two races prior it will offer the $250,000 Armbro Flight for older trotting mares where reigning horse of the year, Hannelore Hanover, and Emoticon Hanover will vie for early bragging rights in this division.
Last night at Harrington Raceway in Delaware, Slick Tony (Russell Foster) overcame a first over journey to edge Transitioning Joy (Montrell Teague) in the first $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund elim opening round in 1:53.4. Slick Tony has won all three $100,000 finals thus far for his division for owner-breeder-trainer George "Ronnie" Leager. In the other split, America First (Jeff Fout) posted a mild 4-1 upset in 1:55.
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