Two-year-old colts and geldings were front and centre at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday evening, as the Campbellville, Ont. oval hosted the opening leg of the Harvest Series.
Trotters sparred in a set of $17,000 divisions, with the first split going to All Wrapped Up in gate-to-wire fashion.
Trevor Henry hustled the race favourite to the lead, and together they led the field through panels of :29.4, :59.1 and 1:28.1 before kicking home in :29.4 to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Cool Clifford in 1:58. Cousin Peter was a well-beaten third.
Trainer Rob Fellows co-owns the son of Archangel-Jukebox Jackie with Arpad Szabo, Blair Corbeil and Mike McAllister. It was the second win in six assignments for the career winner of $16,750.
Sinful took the other division for driver Chris Christoforou, who worked out a beautiful pocket trip for the gelding who then parlayed it into a 1:58.2 triumph.
Sitting on the back of Encarnacion through fractions of :28.1 and :58, Sinful popped off the rail around the final turn and then used a :30.1 closing quarter to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Scarlett Raider. JMR Pinarello rallied from far back to finish third.
Jack Moiseyev trains the son of Angus Hall-Tyttis Last for Friends Forever Racing, Emma Christoforou, All You Gotta Know Stb and Pam Schmidt. The gelding improved his rookie record to 2-1-0 from eight trips to the track. The $8,500 payday bumped his bankroll to $22,280.
Mantario captured the first of three divisions for the pacing colts and geldings, and he did so in come-from-behind fashion for driver Sylvain Filion.
The son of Sportswriter-Rocknroll Wishes landed in the two-hole behind race favourite Better Earl who proceeded to knife his way through fractions of :27.1 and :55.4. The leader came under heavy pressure around the final turn when Sugartown made a first-over surge. Sugartown showed a short lead while racing parked past the three-quarter pole in 1:24.3, but he couldn’t hold that lead. Mantario wiggled through an opening in the lane and kicked home in :29.1 to win by a half-length margin over Shadow Tail in 1:54.1. Better Than Some was third.
Scott McEneny trains the gelding for M And L Of Delaware LLC of Wilmington, DE. The victory improved the rookie’s record to 3-1-1 from 10 tries and the $8,500 payday bumped his earnings to $23,628.
Millenium Seelster powered to the lead in the second division and he didn’t look back en route to an impressive victory for Team Christoforou.
The son of Sunshine Beach-Maurockin rolled out quickly from the rail for Chris Christoforou and whacked out fractions of :27.2, :57 and 1:26 before finishing off the others with a :29.2 closing panel. Millenium Seelster won by two lengths over Lifetime Delight in 1:55.2. Race favourite Better Than Cash came first-over before fading to finish third.
Trainer Charalambos Christoforou shares ownership on the lightly-raced youngster with Banjo Farms of Toronto, Ont. The rookie has earned $11,918 to date.
Carlisimo was sent off as the public’s top choice in the third division, and his late-closing kick earned him the win in 1:55.2.
James MacDonald got away third with the colt, who watched Face The Challenge take the field through first-half fractions of :28.3 and :57.2. MacDonald had his charge on the move going to the half, and he was sitting third over while following cover at the three-quarter pole. Carlisimo swung out wide for the stretch drive, and his :28.3 final quarter earned him the half-length win over Joe Mcdude. Rousseau rounded out the top three finishers.James ‘Friday’ Dean trains the son of Shadow Play-Putnam Mackenzie for owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford, PE. The colt won for the fourth time this season while lifting his cash stash to $43,648.