Woodbine Mohawk Park: Sintra surges to grab Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational

Last year's Canadian Pacing Derby winner Sintra worked out a perfect second-over trip and capitalized on it in the lane to win the C$100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational for pacing males at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a speedy 1:48 flat.

94-1 shot Nirvana Seelster (Trevor Henry) made the lead from post eighth and led the way to the 26 3/5 opening quarter and the 54 3/5 half. Rodeo Romeo (Tim Tetrick) followed him from the pocket, with Check Six (Yannick Gingras) third and Sintra (Jody Jamieson) fourth after dropping in that position from post seven.

Gingras came to the outside with Check Six at the half, and he would advance steadily on the rim, getting side-by-side with Nirvana Seelster at the 1:21 2/5 three-quarters. Sintra gladly grabbed the cover and looked ready to strike, with favored McWicked (David Miller) fanning three-wide early from fourth-over.

Jamieson cut Sintra loose as the field entered the stretch, and once shown the clear air, Sintra overhauled the leaders and opened up a gap on the field. McWicked tried his best to chip into the margin in the final eighth, but he just couldn't reach on this night, as Sintra stayed clear, winning by about three lengths. McWicked had to settle for second, and Jimmy Freight (Louis-Philippe Roy), a 3-year-old who was taking on older foes, rallied up the cones to collect third.

A 5-year-old gelded son of Mach Three, Sintra is trained by Dave Menary for owners Brad Gray, Michael Guerriero, and Menary Racing Inc. Sintra was victorious for the 18th time in his career, and he has now put away C$988,425. An 8-1 shot, he paid $18.00 to win.

"He's going next to the Ben Franklin eliminations at Pocono," Menary said.