Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

     Classic Series Contested at Mohawk

June 16, 2007

Boulder Creek Rocks in Classic Pace
Boulder Creek was an impressive winner for driver Daniel Dube in the C$265,350 Open Pacing Classic on Saturday night (June 16) at Mohawk Raceway in Canada

he 7-year-old son of Pacific Rocket paced in 2:33.2, a new world record for the 1-3/8th mile distance. It was also the third straight year that the brown gelding had captured this event for trainer Mark Silva and owners Clifford Siegel, Lee Wasserman and John Fodera of New York.

"I got a perfect trip in here and this horse has so much class," Dube said. "When you have a nice horse, they do the work for you. I wanted to race him from behind but nobody else was on the gate so we just left out of there pretty easily. Then, when Lis Mara pulled, I just sat on his back the whole way around and it was easy from there."

Boulder Creek took the lead easily from the rail and led the field of four to a :28.2 first quarter. Lis Mara then pulled and led the field through fractions of :56.3, 1:24.1, and then smoked a :27 fourth panel for a 1:51.1 mile clocking. Boulder Creek then pulled out, and easily paced home with little urging from Dube for the new world record.

Lis Mara (Brian Sears) held on for second with Artistic Fella (Cat Manzi) third and Stonebridge Regal (John Campbell) fourth. Shark Gesture was scratched.

$265,350 Pacing Classic Final Mohawk Raceway   1 3/8 miles
PP Horse                Driver
5 Boulder Creek       Dan Dube
4 Lis Mara                Brian Sears
1 Artistic Fella          C Manzi
2 Stonebridge Regal J Campbell
:28 :59.2 1:27.2 1:56
Scratched: Shark Gesture

Buck I St Pat Roars in Classic Distaff Trot
Buck I St Pat rallied from the back of the pack to capture the C$265,350 Classic Oaks Trot Final for mares on Saturday night (June 16) at Mohawk Raceway. The 4-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse and driver Brian Sears mowed down the leading Birminghim (Trevor Ritchie) in the final strides to capture her fifth win of the season in eight tries for owners Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen and Ron Fuller.

Mystical Sunshine took the early lead but was quickly overtaken by Birminghim to the :28.1 first quarter. Piloted confidently by Trevor Ritchie, the big brown mare by Striking Sahbra easily cruised through fractions of :57.3 and 1:27.3 before Ritchie pulled the ear plugs just past the three-quarter-mile marker. The field began to gang up on Birminghim, but she seemed to have the victory well in hand through a 1:56.1 mile clocking.

She didn't count on Buck I St Pat, however, who came flying for Sears in the middle of the racetrack, with Passionate Glide (Ron Pierce) right on her heels. The diminutive filly stormed by the leader to win in 2:40.3 for the 1-3/8th mile test. Passionate Glide got up for second, while Birminghim hung on for third.

"I never get her to the gate early because she's had some issues about that in the past," Sears said. "I was content where we were sitting throughout the mile and when I pulled her and asked her to go, she really responded well. She has a real good late kick to her, and that's how she got there tonight."

$265,350 Classic Oaks Final Mohawk Raceway Fillies & Mares 1 3/8 miles
PP Horse                     Driver
7 Buck I St Pat              Brian Sears
10 Passionate Glide       Ron Pierce
9 Birminghim                Trevor Ritchie
1 Lavec Dream             Yan Gingras
3 Queen Serene           T Smedshammer
6 Mystical Sunshine      Daniel Dube
2 Spare Time Rozie      R Zeron
4 Up Front Hotsey       J Campbell
5 Freeze Frame           C Manzi
8 Susies Magic            D Miller
:28.1 57.3 1:27.2 2:40.3

Vivid Photo Wins Classic Trot
Vivid Photo was all business en route to capturing the C$265,350 Trotting Classic Open Final at Mohawk on Saturday night (June 16), trotting in 2:39 for the 1-3/8th mile endurance race.

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, the 5-year-old winner of $2 million-plus was content to sit back throughout most of the mile that saw 75-1 longshot Elvis Cole lead the field through fractions of :28, :57.2 and 1:27.2 before giving way to the hard-knocking Man About Town (Daniel Dube), with Vivid Photo creeping up on the outside of horses.

From there, Vivid Photo took over the first-up chase, trotting the mile in 1:55, before roaring home in 2:39. JM Vangogh (Trevor Ritchie) closed like a bullet to be second, while Hez Striking (Paul MacDonnell) nailed third.

This horse is lucky to be back racing as tough as he is, especially after the infection he had," driver/trainer Roger Hammer said. "He's good, but I wasn't sure if he was sharp enough to go this distance. We're pointing him next for the Titan Cup, and then we'll bring him back up here for four months, as long as he stays healthy."

$265,350 Trotting Classic Final Mohawk Raceway: Race Ten
1 3/8 miles
PP Horse                     Driver
6 Vivid Photo                 Roger Hammer
5 JM Vangogh                Trevor Ritchie
1 Hez Striking                P Macdonell
2 Sand Vic                     Brian Sears
4 Man About Town          Daniel Dube
7 MedVac                      Andy Miller
3 Elvis Cole                  Corey Callahan
:28 :57.2 1:27.2 1:55 2:29

Moving Pictures takes Classic Distaff Pace
Moving Pictures got up in the final strides to capture the C$265,350 Classic Distaff for mare pacers on Saturday (June 16) at Mohawk. The 4-year-old daughter of DM Dillinger stopped the clock in 2:37 with driver Mark MacDonald at the lines for trainer Casie Coleman.

Invitro (Paul MacDonell) led the field throughout most of the mile, pacing through fractions of :28.2, :58.3, 1:27.3 and 1:55.2, before Miss Galvinator A (Andy Miller) and Vysoke Tatry (Rick Zeron) challenged her, taking over the lead in deep stretch.

However, Moving Pictures was right in the middle of the action, and snuck up to get the win by a half length. Vysoke Tatry hung on for second, while To Helen Back (Chris Christoforou) got up for third.

"I was a little concerned at the head of the stretch because I had nowhere to go and I had a ton of horse," winning driver Mark MacDonald noted. "I thought if I could get out she could be right there, but it was tough going for a while. This mare is just a big plugger and she just keeps on grinding and coming on and coming on. She impressed me here tonight."

Moving Pictures is owned by Steve Calhoun and Michale Lindley. The victory was her third of the year in eight starts, and pushed her seasonal earnings to near the $200,000 mark.

$265,350 Classic Distaf Pace
Mohawk Raceway: Race Eleven
1 3/8 miles
PP Horse                          Driver
5 Moving Pictures                M MacDonald
6 Vysoke Tatry                   Rick Zeron
8 To Helen Back                 C Christoforou
1 Miss Galvinator A           Andy Miller
4 Invitro                             Paul MacDonnell
7 Armbro Dancer                Ron Pierce
2 Marnie Hall D Dube           M Silva
:28.2 :58.3 1:27.3 1:55.2 2:37
Scratched: Darlins Delight