Mohawk: Control The Moment stays undefeated with Metro win

Driver Randy Waples had never won the Metro prior to Saturday night but that didn’t hinder him in any way as he led undefeated Control The Moment to victory in the $685,000 event for juveniles on Saturday night at Mohawk. It was the first of three major victories on the evening for Waples.

Waples was cool as a cucumber relaxing the son of Well Said in the early stages as Voracity blasted to the top in the :26 opening quarter. Waples waited for Betting Line and Steve Condren to move past the call and he followed with authority. Betting Line cleared the lead briefly but Control The Moment took control at the :54 2/5 opening half and just cruised from there.

The Brad Maxwell-trained Control The Moment rated the third quarter in 1:22 4/5 and then sprinted off comfortably in 1:49 4/5, a final quarter in :27 and appearing under wraps. Betting Line held second with Voracity finishing third. Sent off as the 1-2 betting choice Control The Moment made it seven straight career wins and returned $3.10 to win.

“I thought I had a shot four weeks ago,” said Waples following the race of his confidence in Control The Moment. “He’s a smart horse and smart horses make drivers look smart.”

Maxwell shares ownership in Control The Moment with Howard Taylor, Ed Gold and Ben Mudry.

Waples came back in the next race to score in the Canada’s oldest stakes race, the Canadian Pacing Derby, behind the 8-5 favorite State Treasurer. With regular pilot Dave Miller in Pennsylvania, Waples got the call for Dr. Ian Moore and pushed the button at the right time behind the son of Real Desire. With J K Endofanera and Foiled Again dueling through a :53 1/5 opening half Waples sent State Treasurer full blast to gain control with an eye-catching :26 2/5 third quarter. From that point it was just a matter a finding the wire that State Treasurer did first for the fourth consecutive time. State Treasurer, owned by Sally Macdonald and Paul Macdonald, defeated Shamballa with Limelight Beach and a very hard-used J K Endofanera next in order. The winning time was 1:47 4/5.

Waples and the favorite once again came through in the $455,000 She’s A Great Lady final as the 3-5 choice L A Delight hustled to the front at the half and never looked back. Thatsoveryverynice and Jody Jamieson made the top in a :27 3/5 opening quarter and made Darlinonthebeach work hard to clear the lead before the :54 3/5 half. Waples was tracking the outer flow and L A Delight zoomed to the top past the half and carved out a 1:23 three quarters with virtually no outer flow.

Darlinonthebeach briefly pulled on the final turn but settled back in and chased the winner home second in the 1:51 2/5 mile. Thatsoveryverynice had to settle for third.

Bob McIntosh bred and trains the homebred by Bettor’s Delight and owns her along with Al McIntosh Holdings. It was her eighth win in nine career starts.

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