Courtly Choice and driver James MacDonald stormed by rivals in the stretch for a 30-1 upset victory in Saturday’s $525,000 Canadian Pacing Derby at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Blake MacIntosh trained four-year-old rallied from sixth with a :25.3 final-quarter to nail heavy-favourite Lather Up at the wire for a 1:48.4 victory.
“It was amazing, I can’t even put it into words I’m so happy,” said MacDonald. “I’ve been trying to get a crack at one of these big ones in Canada and I just haven’t had a lot of luck and tonight the race set up great and the horse was just unbelievable.”
Lather Up and driver Montrell Teague brushed from fourth to first entering the backstretch to overtake This Is The Plan, who cut a :25.4 opening-quarter. Courtly Choice and MacDonald got away seventh in the field and were following defending champion McWicked.
After a :54.1 half, Lather Up was confronted by first-up challenger Done Well heading to three-quarters. The racing action got tight going to three-quarters, as This Is The Plan was climbing over the back of Teague with Lather Up. The 1/5 favourite has previously had issues with turns and gave up a short-advantage to Done Well at three-quarters in 1:22.1.
Courtly Choice and MacDonald were set up to follow McWicked around the final-turn, but the defending champion moved back down to the rail. Courtly Choice ultimately was placed a couple lengths behind the second-over challenger Western Fame turning for home.
In the stretch, Lather Up embraced the straightaway and tried to pull away from rivals. Victory appeared to be within reach for Lather Up, until all eyes focused on Courtly Choice flying on the far outside, powering by rivals to reach up for a half length victory.
Lather Up settled for second, while Western Fame was third and This Is The Plan finished fourth.
“I can’t even explain the feeling he was pacing so hard,” said MacDonald of Courtly Choice. “I knew I had a lot of pace, but he was just trying to get into gear, and then everyone was kind of just fanning out and I didn’t know what Lather Up would do because he always comes back on and he’s just such a great horse.
“Lather Up has just been unbeatable, and just special to watch. Even just to be on the track is an honour and then to get to beat him in front of my home crowd… it was amazing.”
A four-year-old son of Art Major, Courtly Choice picks up his fourth win in 12 outings this season and 16
th of his career. Last year’s Little Brown Jug champion has now earned over $1.3 million for owners Hutt Racing Stable, Mac And Heim Stables, Daniel Plouffe and Touchstone Farms Inc.
The Canadian Pacing Derby victory is the first for driver MacDonald and trainer MacIntosh, who noted the victory ranks near the top for him personally.
“Right up there because winning at your home track and we were an underdog coming in,” said MacIntosh, noting that Courtly Choice was starting to return to top form in recent weeks. “I knew that James was taking care of him there the last couple weeks, and he looked like he was back to his old self, (I’m) just ecstatic about this.”
Courtly Choice paid $71.30, $9.20, $4.60. The $2 Exacta with Lather Up returned $205.90, while the $2 Trifecta with Western Fame paid $1,946.20. The Superfecta completed by This Is The Plan paid $6,524.75 for a $1 ticket.
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Guardian Angel As continued his dream season with a Canadian record equaling victory in Saturday’s $600,000 Maple Leaf Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Anette Lorentzon trained five-year-old was moved to the top in the second-quarter by driver Tim Tetrick and never looked back to win by half a length in 1:50.4.
“I got away in a real good spot there early, and then I had to make a decision,” said winning-driver Tetrick. “I thought my horse was the best tonight, I really did off last week’s performance and he proved that he was.”
The betting public couldn’t separate elimination winners Guardian Angel As and Crystal Fashion, sending the trotters off as co-favourites at 9/5.
The opening-quarter action saw mares Manchego and Emoticon Hanover blast from the outside towards the lead. Manchego held top spot through an opening-panel of :26.4 before Guardian Angel As leaped from third to first and led by the half in :55.
Crystal Fashion was angled out from fourth at the half and trotted first-up to the leader’s wheel on the far turn. Despite never seeing the rail after starting from post-10, World champion Atlanta was situated second-over by driver Yannick Gingras and set to deliver another gritty performance.
After a three-quarter clocking of 1:23, Guardian Angel As led the field into the lane and attempted to create separation on his rivals. Atlanta tipped off cover and did all she could to track down the leader. Fans roared as the trotters stormed home with Guardian Angel As recreating last week’s elimination victory over Atlanta by refusing to budge for a Track, Stakes and Canadian record equaling time of 1:50.4.
Guardian Angel As, who earlier this season set a World Record on a half-mile track, held off Atlanta in last Saturday’s elimination by three-quarters of a length.
“When he’s on the front he relaxes a lot and then when he sees one coming, he keeps going,” said Tetrick. “I can let him relax up there and when he sees one, he fights off and wants to go, so I was very confident.”
Triple-millionaire Marion Marauder spent most of the mile on the outside and rallied from fourth-over to finish third. Crystal Fashion crossed the line fourth.
Guardian Angel As has led the older trotting division this season and now sports stunning numbers of seven wins and $699,434 earned in 10 starts. The Maple Leaf Trot victory pushes the now 23-time winner over $1 million in career earnings for breeder/co-owner Acl Stuteri Ab and co-owner Kjell Johansson.
Trainer Lorentzon becomes just the second female trainer to win the Maple Leaf Trot, joining Hall of Famer Linda Toscano (2013, Market Share).
Guardian Angel As returned $5.80, $3.00, $2.60. A $2 Exacta with Atlanta paid $28, while the $2 Trifecta including Marion Marauder returned $128.40. The Superfecta, completed by Crystal Fashion, paid $146 for a $1 winning ticket.
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PHOTO BY NEW IMAGE MEDIA
REPLAY:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm_7BA0zYcY