Woodbine Mohawk Park: Lid lifts on 2023 edition of the Graduate Series

This year's Graduate Series for 4-year-olds began as part of Saturday night's program at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Trotters were up to start the Graduate action in their C$99,750 tilt, and Jiggy Jog S, last year's Kentucky Filly Futurity and Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot champion, dazzled in her first start of 2023, romping in 1:50 3/5.

Driver Dexter Dunn sighted Jiggy Jog S to the point from post two, and she would be unchallenged through stations of 26 2/5, 55 1/5, and 1:22 4/5, then drew off in a 27 4/5 final kicker, defeating a first-up Pretender (Andy McCarthy) by five lengths. Slay (Joe Bongiorno) came in third after sitting in the pocket behind the eventual winner.

"It was a brilliant mile from her. She got out of the gate really good and nothing else really came. It was obviously a pretty hot first quarter any way," said Dunn. "She wandered around a little bit on the front like she can do, but I asked her at the top of the stretch and she kicked really good. She was just in sort of cruise control the last eighth of the mile."

Ake Svanstedt trains Jiggy Jog S, a Walner mare, for owner Jorgen Sparredal Inc. She has 11 wins from 25 lifetime starts, has now earned C$1,300,168, and returned $2.60 to win as the 1-5 choice.

There were two surprises in the companion Graduate divisions for male pacers as 22-1 Captain Cowboy and 17-1 Dreamfair Arnie B got the job done.

In the first C$66,500 section, Captain Cowboy (Yannick Gingras) posted his upset in a 1:49 3/5 mile. Captain Cowboy gunned out and hit the quarter in 26 4/5 but was overtaken by Layton Hanover (James MacDonald) and Energetic Hanover (Scott Zeron) before the 55 3/5 half. Energetic Hanover would continue to show the way through three-quarters in 1:22 4/5 and into the lane with favored Stonebridge Helios (Dunn) unable to reach him from first-over.

Energetic Hanover tried to seal the victory in the stretch, but he drifted out, leaving Captain Cowboy room to rally through. Captain Cowboy had pace to go with the space and was able to surge by Energetic Hanover to prevail by a neck, with Rocks Shining Star (David Miller) charging from last to third in the final quarter.

"I wanted to trip him out and be up close to the pace. I wanted to sit second or third if I could and see what was going to happen," Gingras offered. "Obviously it opened up on the inside and we got a little lucky, but the horse responded and he raced really well."

A son of Captaintreacherous, Captain Cowboy is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Knox Services Inc. and Beasty LLC. He made his ninth appearance in the winner's circle, he pushed his bankroll to C$396,354, and he paid $47.40 to win.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

It was a similar sort of race in the other C$66,500 flight as Dreamfair Arnie B (Travis Cullen) rolled to the engine from post seven and clicked off the quarter in 26 3/5 before giving way to sit in the pocket behind favored Birthday (David Miller) before the 56 1/5 half. Birthday kept the pace comfortable around the final turn and to the 1:24 three-quarters, but he was under siege in the lane as a first-over Pleaseletmeknow (MacDonald) was on his outside and Dreamfair Arnie B found a seam up the inside.

Dreamfair Arnie B would be able to get by both of his foes inside the final eighth, and from there, he was able to hold sway over a traffic-troubled Cold Creek Queso (Sylvain Filion) by a length and a quarter in 1:50 4/5. Pleaseletmeknow wound up settling for third.

"He wanted to leave a lot more tonight. He hasn't really been wanting to early in the year," stated Cullen. "He's always had a lot of gate speed, but just this year he wasn't really wanting to leave. I think he was just taking a little time getting into shape."

The winner is by Sportswriter and Jodie Cullen trains him for owner/breeder John Lamers. Dreamfair Arnie B is now a seven-time winner, has pocketed C$164,122, and paid $37 to win.