Campbellville, ON --- Murmur Hanover displayed the heart of a champion at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening (August 23), battling back in the stretch to score a nose victory in an Ontario Sires Stakes record of 1:55.2.
Starting from post six, driver Mario Baillargeon sent Murmur Hanover after the early lead and the 2-year-old trotting colt was comfortably in hand by the :13.3 opening eighth. The fan favorites carried on to a :28 quarter, reaching that station with a 2-1/4 length margin over reigning Gold final champion Creampuff Macdaddy.
As the colts traveled down the backstretch driver Jody Jamieson put Creampuff Macdaddy’s nose on Baillargeon’s helmet and the pair reached the :56.4 half snuggled up at the front, with a seven length gap behind them left vacant by a breaking Majestized. With Its Payday Friday looming in his peripheral vision, Jamieson shifted Creampuff Macdaddy to the outer lane heading for the 1:26.1 three-quarters and the colt put immediate pressure on the leaders.
Turning for home Creampuff Macdaddy appeared to have bested Murmur Hanover, but when Baillargeon asked the colt for another gear Murmur Hanover dug in and fought back. The two young trotters battled viciously through the wire and racing officials needed a magnifying glass to discern that it was Murmur Hanover’s nose in front in the photo finish.
Gotta Secret and driver Jason Brewer wove through traffic in the stretch to earn the third-place share of the C$130,000 purse, with Its Payday Friday and Flanagan Memory rounding out the top five.
The 1:55.2 clocking established a new Ontario Sires Stakes record for 2-year-old trotting colts, with the previous 1:55.3 mark set at Woodbine Racetrack in 2010 by the great Daylon Magician.
Ben Baillargeon conditions Murmur Hanover for R Berthiaume Inc. Richard Berthiaume offered up $70,000 for the offspring of Majestic Son and Mrs Ronerail at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale. The colt was the third foal, and the first Majestic Son, from the full sister to $705,820 winner Dr Ronerail.
Since making a break in his Gold Series debut at Flamboro Downs on June 27 and finishing fourth, Murmur Hanover has swept his elimination and the final of two Gold Series events, both at Mohawk Racetrack. In his only other outing the colt made an error in the July 30 Gold eliminations at Grand River Raceway and finished well back of the action. With six starts to his credit the youngster has already banked $172,254.
Murmur Hanover will have an opportunity to record a third Gold Final victory when 2-year-old trotting colt action shifts to Georgian Downs on Sept. 25.
In addition to the spectacular show put on by the 2-year-old trotting colts, Mohawk fans were also treated to a pair of Gold eliminations for the 3-year-old trotting fillies.
The first C$40,000 elimination saw lightly rated Smarty Pants school her peers on the art of front end control as she rolled through fractions of :13.1, :27.4, :58 and 1:26.4 on her way to a 1:54.4 victory. One More Ginny tried to catch the pacesetter in the lane but it was too little too late and she had to settle for a runner-up result, a half-length behind Smarty Pants.
Heavy favorite Miss Paris finished four lengths back in third, with Lexus Helios hot on her heels in fourth. Justasmalltowngirl completed the Gold final qualifiers out of the first division.
Sylvain Filion engineered the upset for trainer Per Henriksen and owners Stan Klemencic, Dr. Brett Anderson and ASA Farm. The win was the Kadabra daughter’s third of the season, but her first since she captured her division of the Casual Breeze Stakes at Mohawk on June 1.
Smarty Pants and Filion will attempt to make it two in a row from post four in next Thursday’s C$130,000 Gold final.
The second division saw Paul MacDonell engineer a perfect pocket trip for fan favorite Sugar Wheeler and then edge by in the stretch to score a one length victory in a personal best 1:55.3. Frisky Strike sprinted into second, with Thundering Ovation hot on her heels. Dancehall Mistress was fourth and pacesetter Daylon Miracle held on for fifth and the final spot on the gate in next week’s Gold final.
Mike Keeling conditions Sugar Wheeler for P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc., Alan Hainsworth, William B. Weaver III and Kelley Racing Stable LLC. The Angus Hallmiss boasts a consistent sophomore record of five wins, seven seconds and three thirds through 18 starts for earnings of $190,942.
Sugar Wheeler will make her bid for a Gold final title from post three next Thursday.
The complete line up for the August 30 Gold Final is as follows: 1. Dancehall Mistress, 2. Miss Paris, 3. Sugar Wheeler, 4. Smarty Pants, 5. Justasmalltowngirl, 6. Lexus Helios, 7. Frisky Strike, 8. Daylon Miracle, 9. One Mor