Mohawk: Percy Bluechip, Illusioneesta best in SBOA Stakes finals

The first stakes events of the 2018 season at Woodbine Mohawk Park highlighted Saturday’s Fireworks and Family Fun Night card as the C$113,792 SBOA Trot and C$115,792 SBOA Pace featured some of the top Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies in the game.

O’Brien Award winner Percy Bluechip didn’t let a little stinging in the early going get in the way of adding another trophy to her collection. The Dr. Ian Moore-trained pacing filly made a statement with a 1:51 4/5 victory in her season debut.

Driver Sylvain Filion was sitting behind Percy Bluechip for the first time ever in Saturday’s SBOA Stakes, and he fired her out from post six towards the lead. Quite A Sight and driver Trevor Henry also blasted from the rail and didn’t let ‘Percy’ clear without a fight.

Parked by the opening quarter in 26 2/5, Percy Bluechip finally cleared at three-eighths and kept on motoring up to the half in 54 1/5. A 29 3/5 breather on the final turn sealed the deal, as Percy Bluechip pulled away from rivals in the lane with a 28 second final kicker to win by 3 1/4 lengths. Sudden Passing finished second, while Quite A Sight and Play The Bell finished third and fourth, respectively.

“I can tell you right now I like her very much,” said Filion post-race. “It was her first start of the year, and we got stung a bit to the quarter, but when she cleared she felt very good, and when I asked her around the last turn she just took off.”

A daughter of Shadow Play, Percy Bluechip won five of nine starts last season, including the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final, and banked C$440,795 for owners Shadow Two Stable, James & Wilma MacKenzie and Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. Saturday’s season-debut victory pushes Percy Bluechip over C$500,000 in career earnings. She paid $3 to win.

The landscape of the SBOA Trot changed drastically prior to the evening’s first race, as Ontario Sires Stakes champion Kadabra Queen was scratched due to sickness.

Per Henriksen trainee Illusioneesta took full advantage of the absence, defeating five rivals in 1:58 1/5. Chris Christoforou steered the daughter of Kadabra to victory, making a second-quarter leap from second to first and never looking back.

Illusioneesta trotted home in 28 2/5 to win by two lengths over Miss Mimi, Apprentice M and Magics Lucky Charm.

Owned by Harbor Racing Stable LLC. and Asa Farm, Illusioneesta was winless in 10 starts last season, but did compete in major stakes and banked over C$100,000. The Kadabra filly has discovered the taste of victory this season, with now two wins in four starts. Illusioneesta’s career earnings climbed to $178,568 following Saturday’s victory. She paid $3.70 to win.

--press release (Woodbine Entertainment Group)--