Woodbine Mohawk Park: Zeron looks for upsets in Maple Leaf, Pacing Derby

Earlier this year driver Scott Zeron won the richest harness race on Canadian soil capturing the C$1 million North America Cup. On Saturday night, Zeron has two contenders in a pair of major stakes events with an outsider’s chance of capturing both the Maple Leaf Trot and the Canadian Pacing Derby at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Marion Marauder, the 2016 Triple Crown champion, will give Zeron a shot in the C$600,000 Maple Leaf Trot carded as race five on Saturday. After a solid second-place finish in one of two eliminations last week, Marion Marauder enters the Maple Leaf in prime condition.

“I know that Mike (Keeling) and Paula (Wellwood) would really love to win this race,” Zeron said in regards to the trainers behind Marion Marauder. “We didn’t draw well (post 8) and there’s just so much speed in this race. If you look outside the nine and 10 (Emoticon Hanover, Atlanta) are both leaving and there’s speed inside too.”

Zeron knows how difficult it is to win a major race but perhaps the idea that there is so much speed in the race could make for a contentious pace and give Marion Marauder a closer’s chance at victory. “He’s a versatile horse for sure,” said Zeron.

The Maple Leaf sees elimination winners Crystal Fashion (post 2) and Guardian Angel As (post 3) with the inside tracks to victory. Crystal Fashion has been on quite a form spree for trainer Jim Campbell and enters the Maple Leaf on a three-race winning streak that includes the Cashman and Hambletonian Maturity. Despite his sharp resume, Crystal Fashion has not been a race-time favorite in any of those events and may not be on Saturday.

Guardian Angel As has won six of his nine starts this year and went the faster of the two trials winning in 1:51 4/5 for trainer Anette Lorentzon and driver Tim Tetrick.

Certainly last year’s Hambletonian champion Atlanta will have something to say in the outcome from post 10. The 4-year-old mare willingly sat a pocket to Guardian Angel As last week and was a solid second.

Despite a lackluster third-place finish in his elimination, Six Pack and driver Ake Svanstedt could be a different horse this week having landed the pole position. The world-champion sophomore from 2018 has speed to spare.

Zeron is likely to be a longer shot in the C$525,000 Canadian Pacing Derby with Jimmy Freight.

“He was great last week,” said Zeron. “It was a prep race but he beat a pair of nice horses.” The key word in that last sentence was “prep” as Jimmy Freight will be up against a much stronger field of eight rivals in the Canadian Pacing Derby.

Outside of Jimmy Freight will be division leader and potential Horse of the Year candidate Lather Up. Last year’s North America Cup champion returns to Woodbine Mohawk Park riding a four-race win streak while setting multiple world marks in the process. Montrell Teague drives Lather Up.

Last year’s Horse of the Year McWicked has been chasing Lather Up much of the year and hopes to pass him this time around. The 8-year-old McWicked is fresh off a victory in the Roll With Joe at Tioga Downs on August 18. David Miller picks up the drive behind McWicked, who landed post nine.

The Pacing Derby also features the top 4-year-old This Is The Plan with another eye on a major upset. The Ron Burke-trained gelding was a surprise winner in the Ben Franklin in June and most recently captured the Prix d’Ete in record-setting fashion. Yannick Gingras drives This Is The Plan from the rail.

Zeron should close out his evening in good style if Captain Crunch lives up to his advance billing. The North America Cup winner and most recent Cane Pace champion is favored in the C$171,503 Simcoe for sophomore colt and gelding pacers, race nine on the card.

“I think this will be a good race for him to set him up for the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final (September 7),” said Zeron. “I was happy to sit behind Dexter (Dunn/Bettor’s Wish) in the Cane. We just got up in the last step but my horse was pacing at a high speed the entire last quarter.”

It took a 25 4/5 final quarter but Captain Crunch annexed his fifth seasonal win in just seven starts. He’ll face just six rivals including Meadowlands Pace winner Best In Show (post 1) and Ontario’s finest Century Farroh (post 3).

Starting at 7:10 PM, the 11-race card also features three Ontario Sire Stakes Gold races for 2-year-old colt pacers.