Mohawk: Rocklamation lowers Milton stakes record

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The 3-year-old Warrawee Needy, driven by Jody Jamieson, sets a stakes record winning the Gold final at Mohawk.

 At odds of 23-1, Rocklamation lowered the stakes record to 1:49.4 in the $384,000 Milton final for pacing fillies and mares on Saturday night at Mohawk.

With driver Brett Miller in the bike, the 4-year-old Rocklamation also became one of harness racing’s newest millionaires. With the lion’s share of the purse, she boasts lifetime earnings of $1,051,982.

The Ron Burke-trained Rocklamation ($48.50) got away seventh, well behind a 25.4 first quarter carved out by elimination winner Anndrovette. As they entered the backstretch, Yannick Gingras moved the other elimination winner, Drop The Ball, to the front from third, reaching the half in 53.3.

Around the final turn, Put On A Show applied first-up pressure to the even-money pacesetter, forcing a 1:21.2 three-quarter split. Waasmula caught a second-over trip, with Rocklamation third-over and set to vault off cover.

The mares fanned out across the track as they entered the stretch.  Unleashing a 27.3 final frame, Rocklamation got up in the final strides and held off a late rush by Swinging Beauty to score by a neck in a new lifetime mark.  Ginger And Fred got up for third.

“Last week Ronnie Burke told me this mare is way better from off-the-pace and I left with her,” said Miller from the winner’s circle. “She raced good, but [for the final] he said, ‘Brett, just duck her. I promise you she’ll come flying on the end of it.’ The fast fractions helped.

“They were going such fast fractions, they were bound to get tired and we were lucky enough to pick up the pieces,” he added.

Rocklamation lowered the stakes record by one-fifth of a second. Eternal Camnation (2003) and Loyal Opposition (2005) co-held the previous record of 1:50.

With the win, Rocklamation notched her sixth triumph of the season from 21 starts.  The 12-time career winner is owned by Our Horse Cents Stables, Stable 45, and Jerry Silva.

Also on Saturday's card, Warrawee Needy, driven by Jody Jamieson, became the fastest performer in the history of the Ontario Sires Stakes program with a 1:48.4 gate-to-wire score in the $130,000 Gold final for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Warrawee Needy, Canada’s 2-year-old pacing colt of the year in 2011, put up splits of 26.2, 54.2, and 1:21.3 en route to the five-length victory. Mel Mara and I Found My Beach finished second and third.

Warrawee Needy notched his third win of the season from 12 starts.  The 12-time career winner has stashed away $723,825 in lifetime earnings for trainer Carl Jamieson, who shares ownership of the colt with Thomas Kyron, Dr. Michael Wilson, and Floyd J Marshall.

The David Menary-trained Fast Pay held the previous record of 1:49, which was set in 2009.

Warrawee Needy was one of four winners for driver Jamieson. He also scored with Speed Again, Mach It So, and Ideal Race.