Woodbine Mohawk Park: Johansson trotters look to make stakes impact

A total of 13 horses were entered on Tuesday for the Maple Leaf Trot necessitating two eliminations for Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Trainer Nancy Johansson hopes things work out a little better this week for Manchego, the 4-year-old mare that was wiped out of her last race, the Joie De Vie at Tioga.

“You’re always concerned when you get wiped out like that,” Johansson said, “But she came out of it fine. I trained her last week and she was good and again this morning (Wednesday) and she’s ready.”

The Maple Leaf will be another test of the girls versus the boys as Manchego faces a solid group that includes 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover (post 2) and 2016 Triple Crown winner Marion Marauder (post 5), as well as the formidable Six Pack (post 7), the only sub-1:50 performer in the field by way of his 1:49 1/5 tally in last year’s Kentucky Futurity.

Manchego, who landed post three, will get a new driver with Andy McCarthy taking over the reins. “We knew Dexter (Dunn) was going to race in the Messenger,” said Johansson. “She’s an easy horse to drive and I’m sure Andy will get along with her fine.”

Prior to the misfortune in her last race at Tioga, Manchego had asserted herself with consecutive victories at The Meadowlands in 1:50 1/5 and then in 1:50 winning the John Steele over Hannelore Hanover.

“I think she’s as good as any of them,” said Johansson of the mare, who looks for a spot in the lucrative final the next week along with last year’s arch-rival Atlanta, the lone mare against five rivals in the first $40,000 division, race 2 on the card.

Manchego will indeed need to be at her best because her division also includes the red-hot Crystal Fashion (post 4), a 4-year-old gelding that has his act together now and enters the Maple Leaf following consecutive upset victories in the $450,000 Hambletonian Maturity and the $280,000 Cashman Memorial on Hambletonian Day. Crystal Fashion has shown speed and determination this season and again picks up driver David Miller.

Atlanta looks to bounce back from two straight defeats following a six-race winning streak to open her season. Last year’s Hambletonian champion could revert to her off-the-pace ways with the short field, but faces solid completion in the form of Guardian Angel As, a winner in five of his eight starts this year. Guardian Angel As landed post six.

Johansson’s stable will get its weekend off at Woodbine Mohawk Park with The Ice Dutchess hoping to continue her winning form in one division of the Casual Breeze. Last year’s Doherty Memorial winner did not qualify for the Hambletonian Oaks final but since has shown dramatic improvement with a pair of stakes victories. “We’ve been trying to get her healthy,” said Johansson. “She’s been battling virus and sickness and we finally were able to find the right antibiotic.”

The Ice Dutchess scored last Saturday in the Zweig for fillies at Vernon Downs and hopes to continue her winning form from post six against Evident Beauty (post 4).

Johansson’s undefeated Tall Dark Stranger was nominated to the Nassagaweya on Saturday but did not enter, leaving one field of 11 horses going for a solid purse of $228,100.

“We’ve mapped out a schedule for him and he’ll go next in an Ontario Gold Series,” said Johansson of the Bettor’s Delight-sired juvenile. “We won the race last year with Captain Crunch and it would have been nice to try to win it again, but it’s a long season and you want them to be good for the Breeders Crown and year-end races.”

Speaking of Captain Crunch, the Cane Pace and North America Cup winner trained back in 1:52 and is pointing towards the Simcoe on August 31. “We’ll go in the Simcoe and then the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (Sept. 7 at The Meadows),” said Johansson of Captain Crunch. The trainer was a bit more cautious when asked about whether Captain Crunch would race in the Little Brown Jug. “I’m just looking two races ahead for now,” said Johansson. “If it was just a one-heat race for the top money earners, I’d be more inclined.”