Woodbine Mohawk Park: Venerable, Adare Castle stay undefeated

Venerable and Adare Castle are now six-for-six and five-for-five, respectively, after winning the two Peaceful Way Stakes eliminations for rookie trotting fillies that occurred on Thursday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Racing in the first C$30,000 elimination, Venerable got away in fourth for driver David Miller while Dabra Day (Louis Roy) went to the front and posted opening-half fractions of 27 3/5 and 57. Venerable then moved to the outside on the final turn and picked up cover from Samosa (Jody Jamieson) as Dabra Day continued on the point to the 1:25 4/5 three-quarters. In the stretch Dabra Day was joined and then passed by Venerable, who would draw away powerfully after taking command to win by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:54 2/5. Dabra Day, Samosa, Pocahontas (Rick Zeron), and Missy Trix (James MacDonald) rounded out the top five.

"My whole plan was just to race her on the end of it," said Miller. "Where she got away, I knew the horse on the lead had a couple of lengths on us, but I wasn't too worried. She has a pretty awesome kick to her. She sat comfortable in the hole, and she was full of trot at the end.

"So far, she's been all business and does pretty much what I ask her to do. She's real willing to do it."

From the first crop of Walner, Venerable has earned C$315,255 to go with her unblemished record. Trained by Nifty Norman for owners David McDuffee, Mel Hartman, Paul Bordogna, and Steve Arnold, Venerable was bred by Maumee River Stables, Black Creek Farm, and Steve Stewart and sold for $210,000 at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. She is the third foal out of the Muscle Hill mare Jolene Jolene (1:52 1/5, $231,673), making her a half-sister to Crucial (Father Patrick, 1:52 4/5, $528,598). Venerable paid $2.10 across the board.

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Adare Castle (MacDonald) hit the oval in the second C$30,000 elimination, and she would move out of the pocket after the 29 2/5 opening quarter. After overtaking Rose Run Xcentric (Bob McClure) before the 58 4/5 half, Adare Castle kept control to the 1:27 3/5 three-quarters, then dug in through a 28 1/5 final kicker to tally by three-parts of a length in 1:55 4/5. American Beauty (Miller) closed well off cover to finish second, Peyton Hanover (Doug McNair) split foes and gained to be third, Delilah Hanover (Andrew McCarthy) flattened out in the stretch from first-over and was fourth, and Lady Montague (Chris Christoforou) came in fifth.

"I was pretty confident. If I didn't know her I'd have been sweating because she doesn't do more than she has to. Every time you call her, she goes on," stated MacDonald. "It is what it is, she keeps getting to the winner's circle, so I'm not going to worry about it until I have to.

"It's huge to pick your post. You draw bad in these races, and you're behind the eight-ball big time. Unless you're tons the best, it makes it really tough. Obviously Venerable's a nice horse, and now we get to pick our post and draw somewhere handy. We'll get a good spot and maybe we can give her a run. I know she's pretty special, but I know what our's can do off a helmet, so we'll see."

Trainer Mark Etsell also co-owns Adare Castle, a daughter of Muscle Mass, with partners Robert Newton, Graham Hopkins, and Peter Porter. Adare Castle, who was bred by Ed Lohmeyer, is out of the Andover Hall mare Pacific Edge, which means she's a full sister to Miss Muscle (1:54, $153,140). Adare Castle fetched $10,000 at the 2020 Standardbred Horse Sale and has stashed away C$210,807 from her perfect performance thus far. She returned $4.00 to win as the even-money favorite.

This is how the field will line up in September 11's C$392,000 final:

1-Missy Trix
2-Lady Montague
3-Adare Castle
4-Venerable
5-Peyton Hanover
6-American Beauty
7-Samosa
8-Pocahontas
9-Dabra Day
10-Delilah Hanover
AE-Resolving