Woodbine Mohawk Park: Bax's battalion impresses in Champlain Stakes

Righteous Resolve added to her potential Mohawk Million credentials with a 1:53 1/5 stakes record victory and fellow John Bax trainee Oh Look Magic was also victorious as 2-year-old trotters of both sexes competed in Champlain Stakes races on Thursday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Racing in the second C$83,098 split for the fillies, Righteous Resolve (Paul MacDonell) was fourth at the 27 4/5 opening quarter and was out and on the move two-wide behind Shiny New Penny (Louis-Philippe Roy) racing to the 57 1/5 half. Shiny New Penny cleared to the top after that marker but was immediately confronted by Righteous Resolve, and after a brief battle, Righteous Resolve was able to forge her way to command.

After Righteous Resolve struck the front, Shiny New Penny made a break, leaving Righteous Resolve on a loose lead at the 1:24 2/5 three-quarters, and she would coast home in 28 4/5 to defeat Proud To Be Lindy (Chris Christoforou), another Bax pupil, by 6 1/2 lengths. Silly Me Hanover (Bob McClure) took third.

"I'm quite impressed. She was very strong to the wire, basically didn't really ask her to trot," said MacDonell. "She did that all on her own. What you see is what you get.

"We had to work to get around Louis there. He made us trot a little bit. Once I started her up a touch, she was gone. That's just her racehorse instinct that she has. It's really hard to teach a horse that, but she has it."

When asked by Mohawk's Chad Rozema about the prospects of taking on male counterparts in the Mohawk Million, MacDonell stated, "When you're up against boys, you've always got to be a little bit cautious. You never know. I think she deserves it. She's got power and strength, probably just as much as any boy does right now, so why not?"

A daughter of Resolve-Motown Muscle, Righteous Resolve is a homebred for Bet Max Stables Inc. and Benenati Inc. She has six wins and a second from seven tries, has earned C$373,074, and paid $2.40 to win as the 1-5 favorite.

Oh Look Magic (James MacDonald) would win the second of two C$95,353 flights for the colts and geldings. Oh Look Magic would move from the pocket to the lead after a 28 1/5 opening quarter and then post a 58 second half and a 1:26 three-quarters. Dexter Dunn tipped Lukes Bar out of the pocket coming off the last turn, and the looked through the lane until making a break inside the final eighth. That mistake allowed Oh Look Magic to go on to score by two lengths in 1:54 4/5, with Jokic (Tyler Jones) up for second ahead of International Man (Yannick Gingras).

"He's kind of a handful to drive. You never really know what you're going to get with him, so I kind of let him just kind of dictate what he wants to do on a given night," remarked MacDonald. "Tonight, he was pretty calm. I could have easily sat in the two-hole, but the way he won his elimination of the Wellwood on the front-end, he looks like he can carry his speed a long way. That would probably be the best tactic, and it worked out tonight."

Co-owner Glengate Farms also bred Oh Look Magic, a Lookslikeachpndale-Miami Magic gelding, and they share ownership with Bax Stable and The Cavalier Stable. Oh Look Magic has a record of 4-0-1 from seven appearances, has pocketed C$124,748, and returned $9.80 to win as the 7-2 second choice.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Milliondollarwall (Gingras) made her stakes debut a winning one back in the first C$82,097 clash for the fillies. Quite Fast (Matt Bax) clicked off well-rated fractions of 28 2/5, 58 2/5, and 1:27 2/5, but Gingras sent Milliondollarwall three-wide from second-over beyond three-quarters and was able to get by Quite Fast inside the last eighth, scoring by a length in 1:56 1/5. Its Your Choice (MacDonald) came in third.

"The other one did give me a little bit better fight than I expected, honestly," offered Gingras. "When I tipped her off the last turn, I thought I'd jog, but the other filly, Bax's filly, she was fighting. My filly's pretty nice, and she got the job done."

Domenico Cecere trains Milliondollarwall, a Walner-Mom's Millionaire filly, for owner Moni Maker Stable. Bred by Moni Market Breeders, Milliondollarwall, a half-sister to the wickedly-fast millionaire Snow White, is perfect in two trips behind the gate, has banked C$44,798, and paid $11.50 to win as a 9-2 offering.

William Wellwood Memorial champion Winners Bet (Dunn) overcame post ten to get to the front after a 57 2/5 half in his C$95,352 Champlain dash, but after a 1:25 3/5 three-quarters, he couldn't fend off pocket-sitter Gaines Hanover (Roy) in the lane, as he angled out and got up for a one length victory in 1:54 1/5. What An Angel (MacDonell) was third.

"Like everyone knows, Winners Bet had the ten-hole, so he had kind of a complicated trip. My trip worked out pretty good, but I'm not saying that mine isn't going to beat him again," Roy said. "I've been feeling pretty confident since I sat behind him. Unfortunately in the Wellwood he made a miscue there on the gate. It was my fault, not his. We'll see what the future is on for him."

The victorious Cantab Hall-Gatka Hanover colt was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, fetched $50,000 at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale, and is owned by Gestion J Y Blais Inc. The Richard Moreau trainee has made three trips to the winner's circle, has stashed away C$118,602, and returned $16.40 to win as a 7-1 shot.