Woodbine Mohawk Park: Roy prevails in both Tompkins-Geers paces

Driver Louis-Philippe Roy swept Friday evening's Tompkins-Geers Stakes for 2-year-old pacers at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The first Grand Circuit event of the season for rookie pacers at the Campbellville, Ontario, oval saw a division for fillies and a division for boys contested.

Campbellville resident Roy took top spot in both, guiding filly Charolais Cattle to an 8-1 victory before steering even-money choice Shalom Hanover to a wire-to-wire score.

Making his career debut, Shalom Hanover turned heads with an impressive 1:50 4/5 score for Roy and trainer Dr. Ian Moore in the C$62,063 Tompkins-Geers for colts and geldings. The son of Papi Rob Hanover left from post six in the field of nine and made the front to a 27 2/5 opener. After a second quarter in 29 seconds, Shalom Hanover ramped things up for a 27 3/5 third quarter, followed by a 26 4/5 kicker with Roy sitting chilly to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

Dr. Moore, who sent out three in the race, swept the exacta, with second choice Mascarpone following throughout for the runner-up spot. Nineleven Hanover was third, while L A Captain was fourth.

A $50,000 (USD) Harrisburg yearling purchase, Shalom Hanover is the tenth foal out of Western Hanover mare Sammys Magic Girl, making him a half-brother to 2020 and 2021 O'Brien Award winner Scarlett Hanover. The season debut score earned Shalom Hanover C$31,031 for owners Shalom Hanover Stable of Cambridge, Ont. He paid $4 to win.

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The C$71,376 Tompkins-Geers for fillies saw Dave Menary trainee Charolais Cattle come first-up on the far turn and power by in the lane to a 1:53 victory.

A daughter of Cattlewash, Charolais Cattle left from post nine in an overflow field of 11, sitting a parked-out seventh around the first turn before settling in. The action up front saw multiple lead changes in the second split, as favorite Im Sweet On Lou was three-wide for a large portion of the backstretch before clearing just after a 55 4/5 half.

Charolais Cattle got the cue to move at the half and wasn't finding any cover, as Roy and the rookie ground first-up to within two lengths of leader Im Sweet On Lou at three-quarters in 1:24 4/5. In the stretch, Charolais Cattle kept on motoring to take over the lead and got clear to win by a length and a half. Luc Blais trainees Rockin Jade Deo and Beachside Caroline completed the top three. Rockin Jade Deo notably rallied from a third-over seventh position to finish second.

Owned by Menary Racing Inc. and Riverview Stable, Charolais Cattle broke her maiden in her third start on Friday evening. She was most recently fifth in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series division last week after a runner-up finish on June 25.

Charolais Cattle is the third foal out of Ponder mare Final Decision, who is a full-sister to 2012 Pepsi North America Cup winner Thinking Out Loud. The Cattlewas filly was a $40,000 (USD) Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase. A $2 win ticket on Charolais Cattle returned $18.90.

The Tompkins-Geers Stakes continues next week with the 2-year-old filly trot event set for Thursday (July 16), followed by the rookie colt and gelding trot on Friday (July 17).

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--