Woodbine Mohawk Park: Logan Park posts Graduate Series upset

Logan Park, dispatched at 13-1, got up late in the mile from the pocket to win Friday night's single C$93,750 Graduate Series round for 4-year-old male trotters at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Driver Sylvain Filion hustled Logan Park away from the outside post seven, and he was able to clear the field and take them to a 27 3/5 opening quarter. Take All Comers (Doug McNair) was out and on the move at that point after floating away from post six, though, and he grabbed the top spot in the backstretch.

Take All Comers reached the half in 56 seconds, and heading to that marker, even-money favorite Venerate (Andy Miller) got going first-up from fifth. Venerate made some gains around the last turn, but his bid stalled out before Take All Comers clicked off three-quarters in 1:24 2/5.

In the lane Take All Comers continued to show the way, but Filion was able to tip out of the pocket in the final eighth after Venerate retreated, and it would be Logan Park surging by Take All Comers to tally by half a length in 1:53 flat. Inaminute Hanover (Bob McClure) followed along behind Logan Park on the inside and wound up third. Mycrownmykingdom (Scott Young), Venerate, Dee's Red Delicous (Trevor Henry), and Incommunicado (James MacDonald) rounded out the order.

"I thought he was the best in the race. He drew a good post and had a top driver. He was very good last week. He trotted a back-half in 54 4/5, so he was ready for something like this. He's been good since we got him. He's a nice horse," said winning trainer Rob Fellows. "I wouldn't have been surprised if he cut it, but no one's going to leave a longshot alone. This horse was second in the Breeders Crown last year against all these horses in the elimination, and then drew the ten-hole and made a break (in the final). He can go with these horses, so hopefully he stays sound and healthy for the rest of the summer.

"There's not a lot of 4-year-old races. We have to go in two (Graduate Series legs) to get into the final. There are two more legs, so one of them for sure he'll be in, and maybe both."

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Logan Park, a graduate of the Ontario Sires Stakes program, is an Archangel gelding owned by Outofthepark Stable, Reg Higgs, and Arpad Szabo. Logan Park has a record of 8-3-4 from 29 lifetime tries, and he has now pocketed C$540,472. He paid $29.20 to win.