Taurasi led the field of five from start to finish

Taurasi, a five-year-old gelding by Racing Hill, reaffirmed his position as one of Canada’s elite free-for-all pacers with a dominant performance in the $36,000 Preferred Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, August 10. Driven by Doug McNair, Taurasi led the field of five from start to finish, setting fractions of :28.1, :56.2, and 1:24 before pulling away to win by three and three-quarter lengths in 1:49.4. Jabberwocky, driven by Trevor Henry, finished second, while Write Me A Rose, with Louis-Philippe Roy, took third.

This victory marks Taurasi’s 10th win in the top pacing class at Mohawk Park this year, out of 12 starts. His impressive season also includes a third-place finish in the Pacey Mindlin Invitational and a runner-up position in the Mohawk Gold Cup. Despite a couple of disappointing outings in U.S. stakes races, Taurasi has bounced back strongly, bringing his career total to 22 wins and $639,346 in earnings from 47-lifetime starts. He is trained by Gregg McNair and owned by Brad Grant of Milton and Alagna Racing of Jackson.

In another highlight of the night, the high-class pacing mare Dabarndawgswatchin, by Hes Watching, delivered a commanding performance in her second start after a layoff. Trained by Dave Menary, the six-year-old mare took control of the race down the backstretch and surged ahead to win by five and three-quarter lengths in a time of 1:50.2. Ellas Reason A, driven by Sylvain Filion, narrowly edged out Bluemea Kiss, with Doug McNair, for second place.

Dabarndawgswatchin’s victory marks her 22nd win in 100-lifetime starts. Owned and bred by Julia Ferguson and Lloyd Stone, she was a top-level contender throughout the previous year but has found success in two of her 10 starts in 2024.