Woodbine Mohawk Park: Neighver Punt victorious in Goodtimes Stakes final

Marcus Melander continued his hot streak from Friday at Vernon and the Meadowlands by winning the Grade 2 C$240,000 Goodtimes Stakes final for 3-year-old male trotters on Saturday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park with Dexter Dunn-driven Neighver Punt.

An elimination winner a week ago, Neighver Punt was a bit off the gate at the start but found a good spot in seventh behind fellow elimination victor and 3-5 favorite Magic Punk (Yannick Gingras) and O'Brien Award recipient Strobe Lite (James MacDonald). Up front, 55-1 shot Royal Captain (Tyler Jones) zipped to the front in 26 3/5, but he would be overtaken prior to tthe 55 4/5 half as Touchedbyanangel (Doug McNair) brushed from fourth to first.

Magic Punk was sent first-over by Gingras just as McNair and Touchedbyanangel took control, and Magic Punk made steady headway to join Touchedbyanangel on the lead at the 1:24 2/5. Magic Punk's advance on the rim towed both Strobe Lite and Neighver Punt into contention, and they would fan to the outside for the stretch drive.

In the lane Magic Punk was able to wear down Touchedbyanangel and set sail for home, but Neighver Punt, who was racing with Swedish blinds and barefoot tonight, was full of trot after Dunn fed him clear air, and he would rally past Magic Punk to tally by over a length in 1:52. Magic Punk had to settle for second, followed by Strobe Lite, Touchedbyanangel and Dream For Peace (Mark MacDonald).

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"We got away back but we were following the two favorites, so I knew we would get a good drag into it," Dunn said, noting Neighver Punt shied a bit behind the gate and had no early speed. "I had to nurse him on the last turn quite a bit, but he really exploded off a helmet up the straight.

"He was struggling a little bit with his gait, but they had the pull-down blinds on him tonight, and I pulled them down going into the last turn. It got him up on the bit, and we managed to get around it. In the home straight when I really asked him, he was good as gold."

A Bar Hopping colt bred by Brittany Farms, Neighver Punt is trained by Melander for owner Courant Inc. He has a summary of 3-3-2 from 13 starts, has banked C$230,654 and paid $7 to win as the 5-2 second choice.