Woodbine Mohawk Park: Gingras guides both victors in Goodtimes elims

Yannick Gingras flew into Woodbine Mohawk Park for a pair of drives in the two C$30,000 Goodtimes eliminations - a Grade 2 event for trotting 3-year-olds - on Friday night (June 5) and found the winner's circle with both, guiding 4-5 favorite Magic Punk and 4-1 third choice Neighver Punt to victories.

In the first elimination, Magic Punk floated off the wings from post seven and gradually advanced to take the lead from Greenarrow Hanover past a 28 second first quarter. As Magic Punk cleared, second choice Strobe Lite tipped off the pylons from fourth and marched uncovered up the rim to reach for the lead into a 56 second half. Gingras obliged to sit the pocket moving for the final turn and readied to pounce with his charge. Magic Punk spurted out of the pocket past three-quarters in 1:24 3/5 and slid away from Strobe Lite in the stretch to register an easy 2 3/4 length win. Wolfpack Crown grabbed third from Greenarrow Hanover, while Land The Plane earned the last berth into the final.

"Ake [Svanstedt] said he'd be a little aggressive in the post parade and races two-fingered," Gingras said after the race. "e had a lot of trot; push-button in the race. I used him a couple of times the way the race shook out, but he was well in-hand. It was easy to let James [MacDonald] go - his horse was one of the horses to beat - and I figured I'd get him getting to the top of the stretch. It was no worries."

Magic Punk, a colt by Wishing Stone and out of the Explosive Matter mare I D Entity NO, remained unbeaten from two starts this year with his other win coming in the Grade 3 Dexter Cup last month at the Meadowlands. Ake Svanstedt trains the six-time winner from 10 starts, with C$427,879 earned, for owner Magic Punk Inc. He paid $3.50 to win.

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Gingras fished cover for a second-over tow and successfully downed even-money favorite Touchedbyanangel in the final strides of a 1:51 4/5 mile in the second Goodtimes elimination.

After 8-5 second choice Exactly broke stride behind the gate, Royal Captain fired from post six to take the lead from pylon-starter Classified ripping into a 26 3/5 first quarter. Touchedbyanangel planted into fourth ahead of Neighver Punt and strode along up the backstretch until Gingras began creeping off the pylons approaching a 55 4/5 half, at which point driver Doug McNair pulled off the cones to push for the lead into the far turn.

Royal Captain clung to a diminishing advantage with Touchedbyanangel looming to three-quarters in 1:24 and gave way in the stretch while McNair's charge hustled for the finish. Neighver Punt had clear sailing in the final eighth and persisted to reel in the loose leader with every stride late for a neck victory on the finish. Royal Captain held third with Classified finishing fourth and Dream For Peace closing for the last spot into the final.

"[I was told] he's easy to drive, so I figured him out in the post parade," Gingras said after the race. "I was confident in the middle of the last turn, but when we kicked for home Dougie [McNair] took off a little bit and I was like 'alright, we'll be second,' but he was still trotting. Down late he really dug in, so credit to the horse."

Marcus Melander trains Neighver Punt, a colt by Bar Hopping and out of the Donato Hanover mare Twice Is Right, for owner Courant Inc. The colt collected just the second win of his career from 12 starts, pushing his career earnings to C$110,654, and paid $10.60 to win.

The post positions for the Goodtimes final were drawn following the eliminations. The elimination winners earned the right to draw first for posts two through six. Below is the field for the Goodtimes final, which will take place on the undercard of the C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup next Saturday (June 13):

C$240,000 Grade 2 Goodtimes final

PP-Name-Driver-Trainer

1-Strobe Lite-James MacDonald-Ben Baillargeon
2-Wolfpack Crown-Louis Roy-Tyler Moore
3-Magic Punk-Yannick Gingras-Ake Svanstedt
4-Touchedbyanangel-Doug McNair-Duane Marfisi
5-Neighver Punt-Yannick Gingras-Marcus Melander
6-Dream For Peace-Mark MacDonald-Shawn Steacy
7-Land The Plane-Jody Jamieson-Carl Jamieson
8-Royal Captain-Tyler Jones-R. Dustin Jones
9-Classified-Louis Roy-Matt Bax
10-Greenarrow Hanover-Bob McClure-Shawn Steacy
AE-I Am-Trevor Henry-Herbert Holland

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--