Woodbine Mohawk Park: Gold Series triple for Bulldog Hanover

Bulldog Hanover scored his third Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series win at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Aug. 21, beating five rivals to the wire in a personal-best 1:49.

Sent off the favorites in the lone C$154,800 3-year-old pacing colt and gelding Gold division, driver Jody Jamieson eased Bulldog Hanover away from post two and settled in fourth as Century Heineken led the field to a 26 4/5 opening quarter. Second Bruiser made a move to the front heading by the 53 4/5 half and soon after Jamieson had Bulldog Hanover on the move. Second Bruiser reached the three-quarters in 1:21 2/5 with Bulldog Hanover and Desperate Man looming in the outer lane. The stretch battle came down to Bulldog Hanover and Desperate Man, with the favorite prevailing by one-half length. Desperate Man settled for second, and pocket-sitter Century Heineken was two lengths back in third.

"The race actually went good for him, he raced big, he raced tough, but Jody (Jamieson) said for some reason he was kind of spinning his wheels again on the track, kind of like he was up at Georgian," said trainer Jack Darling. "So, I am a little bit puzzled right now, what's causing that. We might have to do a little bit of shoeing adjustments, but he raced big, first-over.

"He's just one of those horses, he obviously wasn’t, for some reason, getting over the track like he should, but he still pulled it off. He’s just that kind of horse," added Darling, who shares ownership of Bulldog Hanover with Brad Grant.

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Last year's Super Final champion, Bulldog Hanover has been bested twice in six starts this season. The first came in his June 12 sophomore debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park and the second in the July 25 Gold Series Leg at Georgian Downs. The colt seemed to struggle around the turns on the Georgian Downs five-eighths mile before sprinting home in 27 3/5 to finish third behind Desperate Man and Lawless Shadow.

"He (Jamieson) said he wasn't bad, but there was a little something. He just wasn't quite keeping up the way he normally was. He's good and sound and everything, so I'll just make a few adjustments and hopefully get it ironed out," said Darling. "Everything is just a guess right now, but he was sharp as a tack warming up, he was sharper than he ever was tonight warming up. There's always something in this business."

Provided Darling can sort things out, Bulldog Hanover is slated to make his next start in the Somebeachsomewhere stake at Woodbine Mohawk Park next Saturday, Aug. 28. After that, the son of Shadow Play and BJs Squall is eligible to the Pepsi North America Cup, with eliminations on Sept. 4 and the final Sept. 11, and the Simcoe Stakes on Sept. 18. The 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings return to Gold Series action on Sept. 25 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--