Freshmen in harness racing competed in the $189,100 Spring Series finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, April 27, for the Ontario-sired event.
Convoy Hall (Muscle Mass) continued to be unbeaten in the $43,600 male trotting division. After finishing a give-and-go on the backstretch, the horse made it six for six in his first season, winning 1:55.2 for Sylvain Filion. Trevor Henry's Captain Wania came in second, more than two lengths ahead of Tyler Borth's The Canam Banker, who came in third.
Convoy Hall
The victorious gelding, trained by Bob McIntosh, beat his career record in the process. For its owners, Robert McIntosh Stables, Douglas John McIntosh, Randy Liepa, and Beverley Snobelen, Convoy Hall has now brought in $65,800.
After leading the field from the first over, Kinnder Hotblood (Kadabra, James MacDonald) won the $43,900 filly trot final in 1:54.3, finishing two and a half lengths ahead of pacesetter Lexus Angel (Henry). With show finisher Hallie Intheclouds (Jody Jamieson) ten lengths behind, Lexus Angel was the only horse in her post code.
Kinnder Hotblood
Kinnder Hotblood has won two straight games and is now three for nine. The filly, trained by Matt Bax and a two-time winner of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots, set a new career-best time on Saturday. Her total earnings for the owning group of David Hudson, Bax Stable, Gaelic Stable 2, and The Cavalier Stable amount to $48,063.
Thunderstorm Lizzie (Betterthancheddar, Filion) completed a career hat trick, winning the $49,000 final for pacing fillies with an eight-length crush. On the last circuit, she waved off a challenger who was parked out and started to pull away from the pack, winning by eight lengths in 1:52. Tyler Jones's Right Match was the best of the others. MacDonald's Catch My Breath came in third.
Lightning Lizzie
For trainer Murray Brethour, Lightning Lizzie has won all three of her starts, earning $42,000. Along with Glenn Tarver, Bruce Northover, and Jason Churhcill, Brethour is a co-owner of the filly.
At the top of the stretch, Warraweeforlaura (All Bets Off, Borth) got outside and won the $52,600 colt and gelding pace category with ease. Midway through the stretch, he hit the front and was clear, finishing two lengths ahead of the final Chalk Hanover (MacDonald). Roy's Price Control closed last, moving up to third.
Warraweeforlaura
After a winless rookie season, Warraweeforlaura is currently four for six at three with $60,910 in profits. With trainer Frank Baker's most recent success, he deducted a point. Borth and William Stevenson own the gelding together with Baker.
In a photo finish, Whatchulookin At (Hes Watching) came out on top in the third leg of the pacers' Canadian-sired Graduate Series. The gelding trained by Dave Menary finished first in the last quarter, outpacing No Control (Filion) with a final quarter time of :25.3 to win in 1:50.1. Doug McNair's Write Me A Rose led the most of the race and finished third, losing by a half-length.
Whatchulookin
Whatchulookin's triumph was his first since he won the Simcoe Stakes in September 2023. The gelding, who has won seven times out of 29 starts, is trained by Dave Menary for Pollack Racing. The four-year-old has $318,482 in earnings.
Emmetts Buddy (In The Irons, Borth) came first-up turning for home in the $32,000 Preferred-2 of the evening and flew down the line to score his second win of the season from three starts in 1:50.3. He defeated Saulsbrook Victor (Brett MacDonald), the pocket tripper, by a length and a half. The ticket was filled by Dupree (McNair).
Emmetts Buddy
Emmetts Buddy, a gelding that was born, raised, and trained in Manitoba, advanced to the Preferred Class at Woodbine Mohawk Park last autumn and, on August 26, became the first horse in the province to break 1:50. He has made $317,719 in his lifetime and is currently 21 for 55. The five-year-old is trained by Michael Kwietniowski for Arthur Rey, the breeder and owner.
On Monday, April 29, racing returns to Woodbine Mohawk Park at 7:10 p.m. EDT. The $32,000 Preferred-2 Trot will be the highlight of the 10-race schedule.