CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Harness racing fans will flock to Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday evening for a stellar line up of stakes action that includes the $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic for three-year-old trotting colts, a $130,000 Gold Final for the three-year-old pacing fillies, two eliminations for the Milton Stakes for aged pacing mares and a trio of two-year-old pacing colt Gold Eliminations.

The gifted young pacing colts will warm up the crowd in Races 1, 2 and 4 and fans will get their first look at several newcomers to the provincial scene, including Roger Mayotte trainee Hypnotist who starts from Post 9 in the second $37,975 elimination.

“He seems like the best one so far,” says Mayotte of the homebred son of Astreos and Elanthropist, whose siblings include Brittash ($216,279) and Quiet Flight ($211,369). “I liked him all winter and we’ve taken our time with him.”

Hypnotist heads into Saturday’s contest off a 1:55.1 victory in a two-year-old event at Mohawk on Sept. 17 and a runner-up finish on Sept. 10. Both efforts are even more impressive when you factor in the head start the gelding gave his peers, a consequence of an abiding fear of the starting gate.

“We’ve been schooling him to try and get him comfortable with the starting gate, but he’s still not comfortable with it,” explains Mayotte. “In both of his races he’s been off the gate. It’s something I hope he’s going to outgrow eventually. He’s getting better, but he’s not there yet.

“It’s a bit of a headache really,” admits the Mississauga resident. “It cost me a $200 fine the last time I raced him.”

If Hypnotist can overcome his starting gate issues, Mayotte is confident the gelding can be a contender at the Gold Series level. Once the starting car is out of view the young pacer drives like a veteran.

“He’s got high speed, he follows nice and he has very quick acceleration, which is a big asset,” says the horseman, who bred and shares ownership on Hypnotist with Ross Warriner of Burlington and Stavros Kourgiantakis of North York. “As long as it’s an honest pace up front, he can get into the race.

“I’m just hoping he’s going to get better on the gate.”

Among the colts that Mayotte and Hypnotist will face in Saturday’s elimination is former Gold Elimination winner and Nassagaweya Stakes runner-up Domitian Hanover, who will start from Post 5 in Race 2. Reigning Gold Final champion Au Revoir Ace begins defence of his title from Post 6 in the fourth race. The top three finishers from each elimination, plus one fourth-place finisher chosen by random draw, will return to Mohawk on Sept. 30 for their last $130,000 Gold Final.

Once the pacing colts have revved things up, the three-year-old pacing fillies will take to the track in Race 5 for their last $130,000 Gold Final.

Coming off her first Ontario Sires Stakes victory since June 18, In Trepid Water will be hampered by the outside Post 10 in her quest for a third Gold Final trophy. Regular reinsman Rick Zeron will pilot the Intrepid Seelster daughter for trainer Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of LaSalle and C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH.

Zeron will be watching for strong performances from elimination winners Draconian Promise and Beechwood Duchess from Post 4 and 5.

Kevin Wallis and Draconian Promise have been flawless through their last two starts, setting a 1:52.4 track record at Flamboro Downs on Aug. 27 and then posting a 1:52.2 personal best in last week’s elimination. Cully Keetch and Lawrence Simon of Hamilton own the Rustler Hanover daughter, who is four for 12 this season.

Last week’s 1:52.1 victory marked Beechwood Duchess’s seventh on the season and her first in Gold Series action. The Albert Albert miss made her Gold debut at Flamboro Downs on Aug. 5, but failed to make the final, finishing seventh. A pair of solid 1:53 victories at Mohawk later in the month convinced trainer Jared Bothwell to give the filly a second shot at the top class and his faith was rewarded with last week’s upset win over heavy favourite Red Star Biggirl.

R A W Equine Inc. of Mississauga and Jared Bothwell and Annemarie Colville of Waterdown share ownership on Beechwood Duchess.

Post time for Mohawk Racetrack’s spectacular program on Saturday, Sept. 23 is 7:20 pm. The two-year-old pacing colts battle in Races 1, 2, and 4, the three-year-old pacing fillies wrap up their regular season in Race 5 and the $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic is featured as Race 7.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/emohssa.html