CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — The favourites got the job done in all four $150,000 Mid-Summer Challenges at Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday evening and in all four cases the margins of victory were as short as the odds, treating fans to thrilling stretch drives.
The indomitable Bee A Magician captured the first $150,000 Challenge, extending her flawless three-year-old season to 10 victories, but Motown Muscle came up with big effort that nearly brought the favourite’s win streak to a halt at nine.
Starting from Post 2, driver Jody Jamieson of Moffat fired Motown Muscle off the starting gate, and Oakville resident Rick Zeron opted to do the same with Bee A Magician from Post 10. Motown Muscle clocked the :27.4 opening quarter, but handed the baton off to Bee A Magician before the :56.2 half. Bee A Magician carried on to a 1:25.2 three-quarters, but when Jamieson asked Motown Muscle for one last burst of speed the filly responded with a kick that saw her finish just a head back of Bee A Magician in 1:53.1. Anaffairtoremember finished well back of the dueling leaders in third.
“She’s the best trotting filly in the world,” said Zeron emphatically. “There’s no better three-year-old trotting filly in the world than Bee A Magician.
“She’s a fighter, she won’t give up,” he added. “She’ll let you get to her, but you’re not going to go by.”
Richard “Nifty” Norman conditions Bee A Magician for Mel Hartman of Ottawa, Herb Liverman of Miami Beach, FL and David McDuffee of Delray Beach, FL. The gifted daughter of Kadabra and Beehive boasts a two season record of 20 wins in 23 starts for earnings of $1,615,903.
Trainer Norman also captured the three-year-old pacing colt Mid-Summer Challenge with division leader Mach It So, who boosted his own win streak to five. With Oakville resident Scott Zeron in the race bike, Mach It So eased away from the starting gate and watched rival Windsong Jack ring up fierce fractions of :25.4, :53.4 and 1:21.2. Swinging off the final turn Zeron asked Mach It So for his biggest gear and the gelding responded with a :26.2 final quarter that propelled him to a one length victory in a personal best 1:49.1.
Pacesetter Windsong Jack stayed game for second and Gallant Seelster rounded out the top three.
“He’s just always waiting for me — the whole race — to just ask him to go. That’s all he wants to do the whole race, I kind of have to hold him back,” said the younger Zeron, who engineered the victory for Bamond Racing LLC of Brick, NJ. “Tonight it worked out beautiful. I tipped him out wide and I asked him to pace and pulled the plugs, I mean ass to the ground and as fast as he can go. He loves racing and he loves beating horses.”
The Mach Three gelding has now tallied nine wins in 13 lifetime starts for earnings of $293,837.
In the pacing filly Challenge it was Macharoundtheclock, Windsong Jack’s stablemate in the David Menary barn, who gave fan favourites Randy Waples and Pan Luis Obispo a fright.
Starting from Post 1, Waples opted to back away from the early speed and look for racing room later in the mile. While Jettin Jamie took the field through fractions of :26.2,:55.4 and 1:24 Waples moved Pan Luis Obispo steadily up the outside. Coming off the final turn the Milton resident was confident his filly could reel in Jettin Jamie and the outside challenger Leaveumlady, but knew Macharoundtheclock could present a challenge if she could find a sliver of racing room on the rail.
Macharoundtheclock did manage to sneak out, but she could not catch Pan Luis Obispo, who hit the wire a neck on top in 1:51.4. Best Impressions paced into third, one and three-quarter lengths behind the leaders.
“I had a feeling that she was the best one in there, I was just nervous about how the race was going to go, but it worked out good,” said Waples of Pan Luis Obispo. “She’s just an awesome filly, she gives it her all.”
Waples crafted the win for trainer Bob McIntosh of Windsor and owner-breeder Peter Pan Stables Inc. of Pepper Pike, OH. Another consistent performer, the No Pan Intended daughter has a lifetime record of nine wins in 17 starts and has banked $247,433.
The other Mid-Summer Challenge saw trotting colt Flanagan Memory score an emotional victory over Buddy Hally and Gotta Secret. The win marked the first time that co-owner Liette Flanagan had seen the colt race live and she blinked back tears as she talked about the colt’s namesake, her father Michel Flanagan.
“That’s for him,” said Flanagan, referring to a photo of her father she had carried into the winner’s circle. “Flanagan Memory was born two weeks before my father passed away. That’s why his name is Flanagan Memory.
“When he was born he had a leg that was twisted so he (my Dad) said, �What are you going to do with the horse?’ And I said, �I’m going to keep it’,” she added. “I’m very proud.”
The Repentigny, QC resident shares ownership of Flanagan Memory with trainer Rene Dion of Saint-Lazare, QC. The Kadabra son has four wins to his credit in seven sophomore starts and has earned $247,298 this season.
In addition to the four $150,000 Mid-Summer Challenges, Mohawk fans were treated to $50,000 Consolations for the three-year-old trotting fillies and pacing fillies.
In the trotting filly Consolation Rick Zeron piloted Warrawee Olay to the biggest win of her career for trainer Paul Thomas Court and owner Barbara Millier of Puslinch. The Muscle Mass daughter carved most of the fractions and battled all the way to the wire to record the neck victory in a personal best 1:54.4. Cardio Pump finished second, while fan favourite Watch The Rhythm settled for third.
The pacing filly Consolation was captured by fan favourites Seaside Rory and Jody Jamieson, who swept down the stretch to a one and three-quarter length win in a personal best 1:51. Wildcat Hanna and Pertty Music completed the triactor. Moffat resident Jamieson engineered the victory for trainer Jeffrey Gillis of Hillsburgh and his partners Mac Nichol of Burlington, M and L of Delaware LLC of Wilmington, DE and Ellen Ott of Buffalo, NY.
For complete results please go to Mohawk Racetrack Results