Woodbine Mohawk Park: Legendary Hanover, Clever Cody masterful in Metro elims

The field is now established for next Saturday night's C$970,000 Metro Pace final for 2-year-old colts and geldings after a pair of eliminations happened tonight at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Legendary Hanover and Clever Cody built cushions on the lead to take their C$40,000 eliminations.

Driver James MacDonald floated Legendary Hanover from the outermost post in the first elimination to race fourth behind a 27 1/5 skirmish for command. MacDonald methodically moved Legendary Hanover into the backstretch and seized the lead from Booming Economy past a 55 1/5 half and strolled through the final turn. Past three-quarters in 1:23, Legendary Hanover started scooting away from his rivals in progress to a 1 1/2 length score over fast-closing Captain Luke, who came from last for second. Lous World persisted through a first-over push in the final turn to hold third at 92-1, with Storm Shadow and Chain Gang completing the top five.

"He's a big, strong horse. He should be able to handle [getting strung out], I think," trainer Anthony Beaton said after the race. "This colt's just done it every way. Nothing seems to bother him. He's very easy on himself overall. He can get a little temperamental - he was a little agitated in the paddock tonight. But after warming up he settled down and he was super."

Legendary Hanover rung up the score to now stay unbeaten from six starts while pushing his bankroll to C$173,600 for owners Eric Good, West Wins Stable and Mark Dumain. Off the 1-5 favorite, the son of Huntsville paid $2.70 to win.

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Clever Cody fought for a tepid lead that readied him for a back-half sprint to hold victory in the second elimination.

Leading by a 27 3/5 first quarter, Clever Cody lost the lead into the backstretch to Remember The Alamo before circling back to the top and landing on the front just before a 57 second half. With Gem Quality pushing first-over out of fourth, driver Sylvain Filion entered sprint mode with Clever Cody to click three-quarters in 1:24 and fire for home with 7-5 favorite Captains Quarters swinging wide and barreling down the center of the track. Clever Cody coasted to the line to keep a length up on Captains Quarters in a 1:50 4/5 mile with Gem Quality holding third, Remember The Alamo taking fourth and Calicojack Hanover completing the top five.

"We could’ve raced [next] Thursday on Jug Day for 125 [thousand] American and been the 1-9 favorite," said trainer Doc Moore on putting Clever Cody, the Ohio Sires Stakes champion, in the box for the Metro Pace. "But there's five of us partners, and the other four wanted to try him here, so here we are and it turned out pretty good. I just didn't want to make him look bad here, so he made himself look good tonight. I didn't know what to expect really, because the style of racing he was doing in Ohio probably wouldn't work for this track, but it seemed to tonight."

With the victory, Clever Cody has now made six visits to the winner's circle from nine tries while banking C$311,050 for owner Clever Cody Stable. The son of The Panderosa, off the 2-1 second choice, paid $6 to win.

The post position draw for the $970,000 Metro Pace will take place evening at 6:30 p.m. on Woodbine Racing Live.

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--