Woodbine Mohawk Park: Roy sweeps Champlain Stakes for 2YO filly trotters

Odds-on choice Denarius and 4-1 second choice Shimmering Hanover emerged supreme from the two divisions of the Grade 3 C$163,725 Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old trotting fillies on Friday night (Sept. 12) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, a card which also saw a huge upset in the C$40,000 Elegantimage Prep by Stormont Beautiful.

Denarius downed her rivals with ease as the 4-5 favorite in a 1:55 2/5 effort in the first Champlain Stakes division.

Louis-Philippe Roy swooped Denarius from post seven to the top heading for a 27 3/5 first quarter before relegating control to Social Wizard, who was pushing on the outside. Denarius then succumbed to a shuffle in the backstretch with Wishuponastar Deo brushing towards the front and Bingo Night taking control next. Roy nonetheless angled Denarius outside for an uncovered bid after a 57 1/5 half and swiftly advanced to trot in stride with leader Bingo Night passing three-quarters in 1:27 1/5. Denarius edged smoothly by Bingo Night spinning into the stretch and rolled to cross the line first by two lengths. Bingo Night held second from Wishuponastar Deo while Courtneys Promise closed ground well behind the top three to take fourth.

"Training down, she was always a nice filly," trainer Domenico Cecere said after the race. "But [when] we put her in to qualify, she showed me she can be a good one. In the first start, she raced great. In the second start she raced good too – she was running in a little bit, but I think I straightened that up and she showed she can leave. I think we are right that she's a nice filly."

A daughter of International Moni, Denarius notched her second victory from three starts and has now collected C$67,236 for owner Moni Maker Stable. She paid $3.70 to win.

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Shimmering Hanover overhauled tiring 3-5 chalk Barbara May late in the stretch to seize the win and complete a sweep of the evening's Champlain Stakes for driver Louis-Philippe Roy.

Roy crossed to the pylons and sat briefly in the pocket passing a 27 3/5 first quarter before pulling outside and moving to take the lead from Storybook Love. Barbara May followed Roy's brush and pocketed Shimmering Hanover on the approach to a 57 2/5 half. Barbara May remained on the muscle circling the far turn and attempted to separate from the competition as she marched towards three-quarters in 1:27. She then kicked for home on a confident lead before wavering onto the ropes. Shimmering Hanover steadily reached top gear into the final eighth and chased down Barbara May, while keeping a rally from Storybook Love at bay to the outside, to zip by and grab victory by a neck. Storybook Love took second while Barbara May settled for third and Ill Have The Red finished best of the rest in fourth.

"She's always been pretty good; always there," Roy said after the race. "Even going in the Peaceful Way final I had big hopes for her because I felt we had always been a little lazy on her and she never ended at the wire tired. So we raced her a little bit tougher, but she got beat by two other pretty good fillies there. And then going into tonight was the same; I was just hoping she would hit the wire first."

Luc Blais trains Shimmering Hanover, a filly by Captain Corey, for owner Determination. The filly broke her maiden with the win – in the sixth start of her career – and has now earned $104,307. She paid $10 to win.

Tyler Borth orchestrated a 52-1 upset with a furious stretch sprint by Stormont Beautiful in the C$40,000 Elegantimage Prep, which raced between the two Champlain divisions on Friday night.

Borth raced second-to-last for most of the mile as 1-5 chalk R Dutchess led the field to a 27 second first quarter and Lasting Dream circled to the top to take the field to the half in 57 1/5. Stormont Beautiful coasted at the pylons in the backfield passing three-quarters in 1:25 4/5 and had ample room in the stretch to weave towards the center of the track. She built speed in the final eighth of a mile as Lasting Dream clung to a diminishing lead and rolled over the top in the closing strides for a neck win. Global Heritage settled for second after kicking from a second-over trip while Lasting Dream held third. R Dutchess, locked behind horses for most of the stretch drive, settled for fourth.

Kevin Benn trains Stormont Beautiful, a 3-year-old filly by Resolve, for owner Stormont Meadows. The filly won for the sixth time from 18 tries and has now accrued $131,833 in the bank. Off as the third longest shot on the board, she returned $107.50 to win.

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--