Betting Line and Nvestment Bluechip scored victories in the Champlain Stakes for two-year-old pacers Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.
Over $110,000 was on the line in each division, as 16 rookie pacing colts and gelding competed.
Control The Moment, this year’s Metro Pace champion, was suppose to headline the $117,407 first division Saturday, but the Brad Maxwell trainee was a late scratch due to sickness.
Casie Coleman trainee Betting Line, who finished second to Control The Moment in the Metro, took full advantage of the scratch of the favourite.
Driven by Steve Condren, Betting Line was able to drop in fifth in the early stages, as the lead changed hand several times through opening fractions of :26.3 and :55.2.
Around the final turn, Betting Line came to the outside for Condren and tried to catch the cover of Racing Hill, but the Coleman trainee struggled to keep up and sat four and three-quarter lengths off the leader Nocturnal Bluechip by three-quarters in 1:23.3.
In the stretch, Nocturnal Bluechip and Racing Hill went toe-to-toe and it appeared the race would come down to the pair, but Betting Line was able to straighten things out and charged by the leaders with a wicked rush late to win by one and three-quarter lengths in 1:52. Nocturnal Bluechip finished second, while Inspiration View got through late to grab third from Racing Hill.
A son of Bettors Delight, Betting Line has now won five of eight starts for earnings of over $330,000.
Following the race, Coleman noted that her trainee was on the right line and will be visiting the vet Monday to address an issue.
Betting Line has found success on the Ontario Sires Stakes circuit this season and that is where Coleman has him aimed for next.
“There’s a Gold here [at Mohawk] the next Tuesday [September 22] and if he’s ready I’ll probably take him there,” said Coleman. “I’ll probably skip Flamboro and then Super Finals and he’s also in the Breeders Crown.”
Betting Line is owned by West Wins Stable, Christine Calhoun and Mac Nichol.
The son of Bettors Delight paid $3 to win.
Jody Jamieson worked out a perfect trip to allow Nvestment Bluechip to capture the $115,906 second division.
Nvestment Bluechip charged out to the front and took the field by the opening panel in :27.
Voracity, the 3-5 favourite, made a second quarter brush from fourth to take command at the half in :56. Voracity turned up the tempo in a :27.4 third quarter, as Kokanee Seelster pressed at him first over.
In the stretch, Voracity tried to pace away to victory, but Jamieson brought Nvestment Bluechip off his back and the son of Shadow Play paced on by for the victory in 1:52.1. New Talent made a late rush to finish a length and a half back in second, while Sossys King Kong finished third ahead of Voracity.
Nvestment Bluechip is trained by Dave Menary and the conditioner said things went exactly as planned on Saturday night.
“It kind of went like I thought it was going to go,” said Menary. “The colt had a really good week and I’ve always been pretty high on the colt and tonight we got paid for it.”
Menary Racing Inc., Michael Guerriero, Denis Breton and Thomas Kyron share ownership of Nvestment Bluchip, who now has three wins from seven starts this season. The rookie pacing colt has banked over $166,000 for his connections.
Nvestment Bluechip paid $8.20 to win.