Woodbine Mohawk Park: Trotters meet up in Simcoe, Champlain action

Grand Circuit Stakes action for trotters rolled on on Friday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park with a sole Simcoe division for 3-year-old fillies and a trio of divisions of the Champlain for rookie trotting males.

Repentance, the 4-5 favorite, would win the C$153,996 Simcoe for driver Scott Zeron. She came first-up from fifth heading to the 56-second half, cleared midway on the far turn, and dug in under steady urging through the lane to defeat Blonde Magic (Jody Jamieson) by a length in a 1:55 1/5 mile. Sneeker Hanover (Paul MacDonell) came on late for third.

"We thought about whether to bring her up or not, and I wondered if Atlanta and Manchego were going to come this week," winning trainer Linda Toscano stated. "I thought maybe there might be a spot for her up here. She got a good trip, Scott gets along with her, and it worked out. She's getting better and better. She's getting stronger. I thought she was a talented filly, and she just hasn't really come to herself, but she's starting to find herself.

"We're heading to Saratoga (instead of staying for the Elegantimage) because she needs another leg to make the final of the New York Sire Stakes. We're going in that direction."

Diamond Creek Farm bred and owns Repentance, who scored the fifth triumph of her career and pushed her bankroll to C$206,280. Repentance returned $3.90 to win.

The Champlain splits went to Kings County (Zeron), Hudson River (Yannick Gingras, and CT Conabra (Jamieson).

Sent off at 3-2, Kings County made front beyond the 58 1/5 half in the first C$69,107 grouping, and after a 1:26 4/5 three-quarters, a 28 second final kicker got him to the line half a length to the good over a brushing Southwind Avenger (Trevor Henry). Trix And Stones (Jamieson) nabbed third.

Kings County is a Muscle Hill colt trained by Domenico Cecere for owner Lindy Farms of Conn. He has won three times from five efforts, and he has now put away C$55,753. A $210,000 buy at the Standardbred Horse Sale, Kings County was bred by Order By Stable and is the third foal out of the Conway Hall mare Brooklyn (1:57 2/5, $185,522), which makes him a full brother to the exported Brooklyn Hill (1:53 1/5, $261,561). Kings County paid $5.00 to win.

"He's always been a nice horse since the beginning," said Cecere. "He had it a little bit in his mind he wanted to do too much early, so we took our time and have been racing in a lower class. He's coming around. He's a very nice horse. We're really happy where we are right now. We always loved him from the beginning, but like I said he showed he was too precocious. He wanted to be with the good ones right away, and I think if we did that we would have probably lost him."New Image MediaHudson River prepped perfectly for the Wellwood Memorial

In the next C$70,107 Champlain contest, Hudson River brushed from fourth to first heading to the 59-second half, and he couldn't be touched from there, defeating Dream Nation (Louis-Philippe Roy) by a length and three-quarters in a 1:55 3/5 performance. Union Forces (Zeron) took third.

A Father Patrick colt, Hudson River is trained by Jimmy Takter for co-owner Christina Takter and co-owner/breeder Goran Falk. Hudson River, who has won half of his four trips behind the gate and has banked C$80,114, is the fifth foal out of the Viking Kronos mare Lantern Kronos (1:52 3/5, $1,009,175), making him a half-brother to the exported The Bank (Donato Hanover, 1:50 4/5, $1,110,300). The 4-5 choice, he returned $3.90 to win.

"This race today is a little set-up for next week (Wellwood Memorial eliminations). We knew he needed the race, but he's been training good and he's a really nice horse," remarked Per Engblom, Takter's assistant trainer. "We were pretty confident he was going to race good anyway. That race was perfect.

"He had a bad post in the Peter Haughton, but actually raced really, really good there. He's a nice horse, and he's got a bright future ahead of him. He's a little lazy, laid-back colt, so he doesn't really show you what he's got until you ask him, but he had plenty left."

The lone upset occurred in the final C$70,107 Champlain clash with 12-1 CT Conabra scoring in 1:55 4/5. He led through fractions of 28 4/5, 58 3/5, and 1:27, aided by the break of public choice Royal Rob in the backstretch, and CT Conabra continued to hold serve in the lane, downing pocket-sitting Jumpshot (Sylvain Filion) by a length and three-quarters. Okeanos (Roger Mayotte) snagged third.

"From the first day Dad (Carl Jamieson) threw the harness on him he's been telling me how great he was," offered Jamieson, who also co-owns the victorious Kadabra colt with his father. "I went with him in Florida the time I was down there for ten days, and he was his best colt. Him and Trix And Stones, he only had two trotting colts, and they're both really nice colts. They both showed it tonight. They both raced huge. Dad picked them out and developed them. He raced him, and then he decided he wanted to go to Price Edward Island for ten days, so he gave him to us. My wife Stephanie does all the hard work; her and her team in the barn they do an amazing job. I just get to reap the rewards and sit behind them."

CT Conabra, who was bred by Tymal Farms and brought $18,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale, has a pair of wins from four tries, and he has pocketed $76,717. CT Conabra is out of the Conway Hall mare Conway Connie (2:02, $9,088), making him a half-brother to Lexis Noah (Malabar Maple, 1:54, C$340,705). He paid $26.20 to win.