Woodbine Mohawk Park: Bulldog Hanover tops Grand Circuit smorgasbord

Bulldog Hanover led a big night for Ontario-sired horses in Grand Circuit action at Woodbine Mohawk Park, winning his C$85,250 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes split for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers convincingly in a life's-best 1:48 2/5.

Driven by Jody Jamieson, Bulldog Hanover brushed from third to first past the 27 2/5 opening quarter, and after being unpressured through a 55 1/5 half and a 1:22 1/5 three-quarters, Bulldog Hanover sailed home in 26 1/5 while under wraps to win by three lengths over Bettor Sun (James MacDonald). Jimmy Connor B (Doug McNair) was third.

"We were just hoping for a big effort like this going into the NA Cup next week," said winning co-owner/trainer Jack Darling. "Last week, he was good, but not as good as he had been. Jody had said he was just kind of spinning his wheels a bit, so we just made some minor alterations on his shoeing, and it seemed to help. Really happy now going into the NA Cup."

Brad Grant co-owns Bulldog Hanover, a Shadow Play colt. This was his ninth win from 13 starts, and he has now earned C$552,811. Bulldog Hanover, who was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, was the 1-5 favorite and paid $2.40 to win.

Sylvain Filion won three Grand Circuit races, taking both Nassagaweya splits for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers and the other Somebeachsomewhere flight. In the first C$139,300 Nassagaweya event, he tallied from first-over with Magical Arthur in 1:52 and then came back to win the other C$140,300 section with Bob Loblaw off a pocket trip in 1:52 4/5. A first-up trip also worked with Whichwaytothebeach in the Somebeachsomewhere, as he prevailed by half a length in 1:49 2/5.

"I was good (in the pocket). Last week, I overdrove him, so this week I wanted to make sure not to repeat the same mistake. We got a nice two-hole trip, I was able to come out late down the lane, and he got the job done," Filion said of Bob Loblaw.

"He kind of surprised me. He was really good tonight. He was full of himself, and I had to move him. I couldn't really hold him any more. He just paced through the wire, and he raced really good," Filion added of Magical Arthur.

Bob Loblaw, a Sunshine Beach-Lady Marina gelding is trained by Woodbine Mohawk Park track announcer Ken Middleton, and is also co-owned by him in partnership with David Walls, James Grant, and Starting Centre Stables. Bred by Middleton and the late Canadian Hall of Fame member Bill Galvin, Bob Loblaw has a record of 2-0-3 from seven tries, has pocketed C$107,927, and returned $15.70 to win.

Tony Beaton trains Magical Arthur, a gelded son of Artspeak-Lido Magic, for owner-breeder David Lumsden. Magical Arthur has a pair of wins and a second from five attempts, pushed his bankroll to C$84,825, and paid $23.40 to win.

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"I'd been told by people that were with that horse that he likes to chase horses, so I was happy to get in the three-hole and stay there as long as I could," Filion stated of Whichwaytothebeach. "Then I had to move him first-up, and I just grinded myself to the front, and he kept going. He raced really huge."

A Somebeachsomewhere gelding, Whichwaytothebeach is trained by Brett Pelling for owners Alan Johnston and John Craig. Whichwaytothebeach, who was bred by Steiner Stock Farm, has compiled a record of 11-4-2 from 18 tries, has now stashed away C$332,783, and paid $4.10 to win.

Prohibition Legal improved to four-for-four in her career with a 1:52 3/5 victory in her C$113,650 Eternal Camnation Stakes test for rookie pacing fillies, while Fade Out turned a second-over trip into a 1:51 3/5 decision in her section of that event.

"She was heavy favorite, so I just wanted to keep her out of trouble," said victorious driver James MacDonald in regards to Prohibition Legal. "She showed that devastating kick last time, and she can do it any way. She's lazy on the front, but good on the front. If someone had come to her, she'll really take off. She did what she had to do, and she'll never do an ounce more."

"She was off a couple weeks going into her start last week and raced good. I was hoping that she'd race good again tonight, and she did. Hopefully going forward she keeps getting better," winning driver Doug McNair said about Fade Out.

Prohibition Legal, trained by Nick Gallucci, is a Millar Farms homebred daughter of Big Jim-Catch A Wish. She has banked C$192,691 to go with her perfect status and returned $2.30 to win.

Trainer Gregg McNair also co-owns Fade Out, a daughter of Sportswriter-Fade, with partners Dean Lockhart and McKinlay & Fielding. Fade Out, bred by Tara Hills Stud Ltd., was a $20,000 Standardbred Horse Sale buy, and she now has a pair of victories and two second-place results from five appearances. She has now earned C$122,666 and paid $6.20 to win.

The richest event on the card was the C$169,550 Simcoe Stakes for sophomore pacing fillies, and Twin B Sunkissed (Yannick Gingras) prevailed by three-parts of a length in 1:51 1/5 after she brushed from third to first in the second quarter.

"(Trainer Francis Dumouchel) told me that she had some problems early in the season - tying up and some allergies - but he said 'I think I've got it figured out now and that Sylvain really hadn't asked her for too much the last two starts and she won in hand.' I felt confident in the filly, but I raced her once last year, I think at Grand River, and she won," remarked Gingras. "I really liked her there. She's a big, strong filly, and he's done a great job with her."

Dumouchel also co-owns Twin B Sunkissed, a Sunshine Beach filly, with partners Ecurie CSL and 9174 7998 Quebec Inc. She made her fourth appearances in the winner's circle from 20 tries, has now pocketed C$240,068, and returned $5.30 to win.