Woodbine Mohawk Park: Two series for rookie trotters wrap up

Rookie trotting filly Whose Blues remained undefeated by capturing one of two series finals Thursday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Thursday evening program featured 2-year-old trotters in the spotlight for the C$50,000 Pure Ivory Series final for fillies and the C$50,000 Define The World Series final for colts and geldings.

Cantab Hall filly Whose Blues kept her perfect record alive with a comfortable 1:56 victory in the Pure Ivory final. Bob McClure steered the Luc Blais trainee to the coast-to-coast victory.

Whose Blues left from post seven and cleared to command just prior to a 28 2/5 opening quarter. The Blais trainee posted middle-half fractions of 58 and 1:26 4/5 before creating separation at the top of the line and finishing off the mile in 29 1/5 for a two length victory. Spirit Of Deo took a shot at the leader going to three-quarters and finished second. Wine Rack Hanover was third, and Heat Wave Hanover was fourth.

“There is nothing you need to worry about with her,” said McClure about Whose Blues. “She’s perfect gaited. If you just show her the whip leaving the gate, I figured she would go straight to the front and she handled that.

“Last week she had every excuse to get beat off the trip, but she’s so professional you can just do whatever you want.”

Whose Blues has now banked C$47,500 to start her career for owner Determination. She was a $300,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase and is staked to all the Grand Circuit events coming up at Mohawk Park. A $2 win ticket on Whose Blues returned $3.40.

Horse Trader rallied by rivals in the lane to win the Define The World final in 1:56 3/5. Trevor Henry guided the Wheeling N Dealin colt to the victory for trainer Paul Walker.

The look of the race changed early when favorite Threefiftytwo made a break ahead of the start, so Jula Uppercut left hard and got the top at the opening quarter in 28 3/5. Ripped And Ready went after the top spot in the second quarter and was forced to work hard to clear at the half in 57 4/5.

Sebastian Ray kept the action going by sliding out from third at the half and attacking the new leader around the far turn to three-quarters in 1:27 2/5. Nylander followed into a second-over spot, while Horse Trader followed from the back and sat fifth, three lengths from the lead.

In the stretch, Nylander and Horse Trader came off cover to power by rivals on the far outside. Nylander held the lead for a good stretch, but Horse Trader wore him down and edged by in the final sixteenth for a half-length score. Jula Uppercut finished third, while Ripped And Ready was fourth.

“I kind of wanted to leave a little more than we did, but he’s kind of a funny colt and he doesn’t want to leave,” said Henry of Horse Trader following the victory. “He just falls off the gate and I didn’t want to chase him and make him run, but it worked out anyways.

“I was pretty sure he was going to get there. The one week when he won, he really brushed home good and he did as well tonight.”

Owned and bred by Oaklea Farm, Horse Trader has now won three of six starts for earnings of C$70,715. His previous victory came two starts back in the opening leg of the series prior to finishing third in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event on August 8. A $2 win ticket on Horse Trader returned $9.20.

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--