Hot off the heels of a successful Canadian Pacing Derby night, Mohawk Racetrack will play host to another stakes filled card Saturday night.
Grand Circuit week will wrap up with the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old pacers and the Champlain Stakes for the two-year-old pacers of both sexes.
Lyons Levi Lewis (PP4), the runner-up in last Saturday’s $667,000 Metro Pace, headlines the first $123,120 Champlain Stakes division for two-year-old pacers.
Trained by Ron Burke, Lyons Levi Lewis finished 3-½ lengths behind Artspeak in the Metro, but paced his final quarter in a solid :26.3. The son of Well Said–Tongue In Cheek, Lyons Levi Lewis has one win in seven starts, but has finished second on four of those occasions. Owned by Geoffrey Lyons Mound, Lyons Levi Lewis will team up with driver Sylvain Filion for the first time tomorrow night and is listed as the 5/2 morning line favourite.
Also in the field of eight is Freedomformysoul (PP2) for trainer Nancy Johansson and driver Marcus Johansson.
The son of If I Can Dream–Hello Grin has shown a lot of promise with two victories in the New York Sires Stakes, but has not been able to find consistency in his performances.
“He is wicked fast that one, but he is kind of green,” said Marcus Johansson, “You don’t know what side he wakes up on, but if he wake up on the right side he can go as fast as any horse I’ve ever sat behind.”
Freedomformysoul sold for $12,000 at last fall’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and has earned more than $35,000 in six career starts.
In the second $123,120 division, another Ron Burke trainee is the 5/2 morning line choice.
Lyons Again (PP1) races for the same connections as Lyons Levi Lewis and just like his stablemate took home a big chunk of the Metro Pace purse when he finished third in last Saturday’s final. The son of Dragon Again–A Filly To Fear, Lyons Again has yet to win in six career starts, but has finished second three times, along with two third place finishes. A consistent performer, Lyons Again has the highest earnings ($130,821) in the field of nine despite having never won a race.
Starting beside Lyons Again is Nassagaweya Stakes division winner Traceur Hanover (PP2).
Trained by Normand Bardier, Jr., Traceur Hanover finished fourth in the Metro Pace final and has won three times in six career starts. Randy Waples will drive the son of Western Ideal.
Two divisions of the Simcoe Stakes will also take place for the three-year-old pacers. The first $106,038 division will feature a small, but talented group of six lining up behind the gate.
Western Vintage (PP1) has been installed as the 7-5 morning line favourite for trainer Nancy Johansson and driver Marcus Johansson. After a successful two-year-old campaign, Western Vintage’s three-year-old season hasn’t gone exactly as planned with only one win in seven starts, but he is coming off a good second place effort in last week’s three-year-old open.
Marcus Johansson noted the son of Western Ideal had a bit of a health issue earlier in the season that was holding him back.