Woodbine Mohawk Park: SBOA Stakes elims held for 3YO male pacers

Funtime Bayama and Enforcer posted wins in the pair of C$25,000 SBOA Stakes eliminations for 3-year-old male pacers that took place on Saturday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Driver Sylvain Filion guided Funtime Bayama, one of the top 2-year-olds in the province in 2023, to the outside from the pocket past the 27 3/5 quarter in the first elimination and went on to a half in 56 2/5 and the three-quarters in 1:25 3/5. The sprint was on to the wire from there, and Funtime Bayama came home in 25 4/5 to defeat a gaining Unrivaled Hanover (Jonathan Drury) by three-quarters of a length in 1:51 2/5. Storm Shadow (Bob McClure), Best Night Ever (Louis Roy) and Do Better (James MacDonald) completed the top five.

Richard Moreau trains Funtime Bayama, a Hes Watching gelding, for owner/breeder Bayama Farms Inc. Funtime Bayama has a summary of 5-2-1 from eight starts, has pocketed C$259,220 and paid $3.20 to win.

Enforcer (Doug McNair) got to the top in a 27 3/5 quarter in the other elimination, and when Four By Four (Filion) tipped out of the pocket in the second quarter, McNair left him out and forced him back into the two-hole beyond the 57 second half-mile marker. Race favorite Chain Gang (MacDonald) then tested the waters first-up from third on the final bend, but he stalled out prior to the 1:27 three-quarters and faded through the stretch as Enforcer stayed in front to score by a length in 1:54. Stonebridge Thrill (Tyler Borth) rallied from last to second, followed by Wikipedia (Roy), Always A Thrill (McClure) and Four By Four.

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The victorious Big Jim colt was bred by Seelster Farms and is trained by Gregg McNair for owners Aaron Waxman, Alan Alber and David Jarvis. He is now a three-time winner, has put away $106,910 and returned $18.40 to win as an 8-1 offering.

Later on the program, the McNairs also took the $81,500 Canadian-Sired Graduate Series final for 4-year-old male trotters with Osceola in 1:52 4/5, while Tan Micallef trainee No Control (Filion) bagged the companion C$80,000 pacing event by 8 1/2 lengths in 1:50 2/5. There was also a C$81,500 final for pacing mares that was taken by Talk Curdy To Me in 1:51 1/5 with James MacDonald in the bike for trainer Dave Menary.