Woodbine Mohawk Park: Two eliminations held for Metro Pace

Highlandbeachsbest and Abuckabett Hanover posted wins in the two C$40,000 Metro Pace elims for 2-year-old colts and geldings that kicked off Saturday night's program at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

In the first elimination 14-1 shot Highlandbeachsbest (Trevor Henry) shot out from post two and led the group to the opening quarter in 27 1/5, but Bettor Sun (Sylvain Filion) popped out of the pocket in the second quarter and moved around him to take command. Bettor Sun went on to the half in 56 and the three-quarters in 1:24 3/5, with Twin B Fighter (Yannick Gingras) just offering a tepid first-up bid on the final bend and favored Pirate Hanover (Doug McNair) tracking that one from second-over.

McNair swung Pirate Hanover out three-wide after three-quarters, but he got rough and then made a break, falling to his knees before scrambling back to an upright position. With the favorite no longer in contention, Henry angled Highlandbeachsbest out in the stretch, and he kicked past Bettor Sun on his way to a 1 1/2 length decision in a career-best 1:51 4/5. No Better Joy (Louis-Philippe Roy) charged from sixth to second in the final quarter, followed by Bettor Sun, Exploit (Andrew McCarthy), and Twin B Fighter.

"He's been a nice colt," said Henry. "Last week (a fourth-place effort in a Champlain division) he was really aggressive, and I said to Amanda (trainer Amanda Fine), 'maybe throw a mini-bit on him, so I can control him a little better.' I think I might have shut him off last week, but she added it, and he was good tonight.

"He felt good. When I moved him over he showed nothing but pace. Normally he would hang there, but tonight he went right on by."

Fine trains Highlandbeachsbest, a colt by Somebeachsomewhere, for co-owner/breeder Highland Thoroughbred Farm and co-owner Marty Fine. Highlandbeachsbest now has two wins from eight starts, and he has pocketed C$49,686. He's out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Rockn Highland, making him a full brother to three six-figure earners, topped by Highlandbeachycove ($229,512). Highlandbeachsbest paid $31.00 to win.

As for Pirate Hanover, trainer Tony Alagna posted on Twitter that, "His hobble got stuck in his knee boot and tripped himself. Luckily, Pirate and Doug are ok and it could have been much worse."

Abuckabett Hanover (McCarthy) posted his fourth straight victory in the other elimination, tallying in 1:51. Away third to the 27 4/5 quarter that was chopped out by Lawless Shadow (Bob McClure), McCarthy brushed Abuckabett Hanover to the point in the backstretch and was the new tempo-setter well before the 57 second half went on the board. Abuckabett Hanover picked up the tempo to 1:24 4/5 at three-quarters and sprinted home in 26 1/5 to keep Lawless Shadow at bay by a length. Bayfield Beach (Gingras) followed in for third, with Control Heaven (Roy) and Ucanttouchthis (Chris Christoforou) also securing spots in the final.

"I was hoping there was going to be a little more speed to the half and I could sit in, but I didn't want to be first-over to a half in 58, so I had to move him," remarked McCarthy. "He was terrific tonight. He's still learning. I had to kind of call on him there a little bit, but that was still earplugs in. I just told him to go and he went, and he finished up very strong.

"He's still a little green. He's still learning. He can get a little goofy on front, but as long as you're telling him what to do and chirping to him, he kind of pays attention. You can kind of just drive the speed of the race with him. He can do it either way; he could be on front, or he could come from behind. I think he's pretty good right now."

From the first crop of Betting Line, Abuckabett Hanover is trained by Alagna for owners Barbera Stable, Jablonsky Held Stable, Joe Deguara, and Alagna And Inthegym. Abuckabett Hanover, bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc., was a $160,000 acquisition at the 2019 Standardbred Horse Sale and now has four wins, a second, and a third from six efforts to go with a bankroll of C$165,234. Abuckabett Hanover is out of the Western Ideal mare All Tucked Up (1:52, $186,629), making him a half-brother to Attention Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere, 1:51 1/5, $200,617). Abuckabett Hanover was the 1-9 favorite and returned $2.30 to win to win.

Here is how the field will line up for next Saturday night's C$720,000 final:

1-Ucanttouchthis
2-Exploit
3-Abuckabett Hanover
4-Highlandbeachsbest
5-Bayfield Beach
6-No Better Joy
7-Twin B Fighter
8-Lawless Shadow
9-Bettor Sun
10-Control Heaven
AE-Pirate Hanover