Mystician wins the 2010 Metro Pace
September 4, 2010
One of the most prestigious races for 2-year-old pacers is the $1 million Metro Pace, contested at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ontario. Prodigal Seelster was sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the field of 10 off 4 straight wins including the Battle of Waterloo, a division of the Nassagaweya, and his elimination heat for the Metro Pace. In to challenge him included 2-1 second choice Big Jim, winner of the Dream Maker Stakes and the other Nassagaweya division before winning his elimination heat, and 5-2 third choice Great Vintage, winner of his elimination heat after winning the New York Sires Stake at Yonkers.
Intermittent rains all evening rendered the track sloppy as the horses faced a stiff headwind in the stretch and temperatures around 50.
Driver Jody Jamieson sent 30-1 Mystician to the lead first time past the stands and he set an opening furlong in 12 4/5 and a quarter in 27 2/5 before giving up the lead to Prodigal Seelster down the backstretch through a half in 55 4/5. The favorite led the field into the stretch through 3/4 in 1:24 2/5 before tiring badly. Great Vintage, who was 4th early, came out wide to take a short lead in mid-stretch but Mystician came back late on the inside to win by 1 1/4 length over late-running 9-1 Feel Like A Fool in 1:53 4/5. It was another 1 1/4 length back to Great Vintage third, while favorite Prodigal Seelster finished ninth beaten 8 3/4 lengths.
Results chart from Mohawk
Also on the card:
She's A Great Lady Stakes won by Idyllic
Canadian Pacing Derby won by Won the West
Mystician in the winner's circle
Winning trainer Jeff Gillis said, "I thought pretty early on he was a nice colt. I'd be lying if I thought we'd be winning the Metro but I thought we had a good colt. We did our regular routine this week. We brought him in and trained him here in around 2:12. That's just standard for him." He added that Mystician would go next in the Champlain Stakes next week.
Driver Jody Jamieson added, "I talked to Jeff pre-race and he thought the horse was as good as he's ever been.
This horse is way better in the cooler weather. The track isn't really that great but the front end has been holding up most of the night. The horse is aggressive and is a great horse and wants to go forward. So it was easy decision for me at the gate when he had his ears up going in. The track is changing every race. We get a little bit of rain. Then it stops. I didn't want to take anything for granted. I just wanted to be up close and let us make our own luck. The horse was awesome and he did make some luck."
Idyllic wins the 2010 She's A Great Lady Stakes
The filly counterpart of the Metro Pace is the $688,000 She's A Great Lady Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies. Pretty Katherine was sent off as the 2-5 favorite in the field of 10 over 9-2 second choice Idyllic and 11-1 third choice Shyaway.
Driver Dave Miller sent Idyllic to the lead soon after the start and was stalked by Pretty Katherine through a quarter in 27 4/5. Pretty Katherine took over the lead down the backstretch getting the half in 56 2/5 and 3/4 in 1:24 1/5.
The favorite led to the 1/8 pole but Idyllic stayed with her the whole way and fought back in the final 1/16 to win by 3/4 length in 1:53. It was another 1/4 length back to 21-1 Strike at Attitude third.
Results chart from Mohawk
Also on the card:
Metro Pace won by Mystician
Canadian Pacing Derby won by Won the West
Idyllic heads for the winner's circle
Winning trainer Casie Coleman, who trained the first 2 finishers, said, "I felt really good coming for home with these fillies. From day one these two fillies (Idyllic and Pretty Katherine) trained down together and I didn't know which one was better and I still don't. I never give the drivers instructions but I was comfortable getting away 1-2. (Pretty Katherine) did all the road work and there was a huge head wind turning for home that she had to deal with.
They raced absolutely awesome."
The last stakes race on Saturday night is the $78,000 Canadian Pacing Derby, featuring some of the best older pacers going the standard 1 mile distance. Defending champion Shark Gesture, winner of the Haughton Memorial last out, was sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the field of 10 over 9-4 second choice Hypnotic Blue Chip, winner of his division of the U.S. Pacing Championship, and 3-1 third choice Won the West, who won his U.S.
Pacing Championship division.
Shark Gesture on the outside and 10-1 Bigtime Ball on the inside battled on the front end through fractions of 27 and 55 1/5 with 50-1 Keystone Horatio stalking them third. On the far turn, Shark Gesture broke stride while Hypnotic Blue Chip, 4th early, came out wide to take over a 1/4 length lead at the top of the lane through 3/4 in 1:23 1/5. Won the West, who was 5th for the first 3/4 mile, closed with a rush on the far outside to pass Hypnotic Blue Chip to win by 1 1/2 length in 1:51 2/5. It was just a neck back to 12-1 Bettor Sweet third, while favorite Shark Gesture was 8th beaten 10 3/4 length.
Results chart from Mohawk
Also on the card:
Metro Pace won by Mystician
She's A Great Lady Stakes won by Idyllic
Winning driver Dave Miller said, "I just left the gate. I wanted to make sure I was up close to the front. I decided I’d take back and follow (Hypnotic Blue Chip). The trip worked out great. I had live cover right to the stretch. And I was able to go left (towards the rail), which always helps this horse and he paced good right through the wire. He’s a good horse. (Hypnotic Blue Chip) had a couple of lengths on me.
But my horse, once he got straightened away, he took right off."
September 4, 2010
One of the most prestigious races for 2-year-old pacers is the $1 million Metro Pace, contested at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ontario. Prodigal Seelster was sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the field of 10 off 4 straight wins including the Battle of Waterloo, a division of the Nassagaweya, and his elimination heat for the Metro Pace. In to challenge him included 2-1 second choice Big Jim, winner of the Dream Maker Stakes and the other Nassagaweya division before winning his elimination heat, and 5-2 third choice Great Vintage, winner of his elimination heat after winning the New York Sires Stake at Yonkers.
Intermittent rains all evening rendered the track sloppy as the horses faced a stiff headwind in the stretch and temperatures around 50.
Driver Jody Jamieson sent 30-1 Mystician to the lead first time past the stands and he set an opening furlong in 12 4/5 and a quarter in 27 2/5 before giving up the lead to Prodigal Seelster down the backstretch through a half in 55 4/5. The favorite led the field into the stretch through 3/4 in 1:24 2/5 before tiring badly. Great Vintage, who was 4th early, came out wide to take a short lead in mid-stretch but Mystician came back late on the inside to win by 1 1/4 length over late-running 9-1 Feel Like A Fool in 1:53 4/5. It was another 1 1/4 length back to Great Vintage third, while favorite Prodigal Seelster finished ninth beaten 8 3/4 lengths.
Results chart from Mohawk
Also on the card:
She's A Great Lady Stakes won by Idyllic
Canadian Pacing Derby won by Won the West
Mystician in the winner's circle
Winning trainer Jeff Gillis said, "I thought pretty early on he was a nice colt. I'd be lying if I thought we'd be winning the Metro but I thought we had a good colt. We did our regular routine this week. We brought him in and trained him here in around 2:12. That's just standard for him." He added that Mystician would go next in the Champlain Stakes next week.
Driver Jody Jamieson added, "I talked to Jeff pre-race and he thought the horse was as good as he's ever been.
This horse is way better in the cooler weather. The track isn't really that great but the front end has been holding up most of the night. The horse is aggressive and is a great horse and wants to go forward. So it was easy decision for me at the gate when he had his ears up going in. The track is changing every race. We get a little bit of rain. Then it stops. I didn't want to take anything for granted. I just wanted to be up close and let us make our own luck. The horse was awesome and he did make some luck."
Idyllic wins the 2010 She's A Great Lady Stakes
The filly counterpart of the Metro Pace is the $688,000 She's A Great Lady Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies. Pretty Katherine was sent off as the 2-5 favorite in the field of 10 over 9-2 second choice Idyllic and 11-1 third choice Shyaway.
Driver Dave Miller sent Idyllic to the lead soon after the start and was stalked by Pretty Katherine through a quarter in 27 4/5. Pretty Katherine took over the lead down the backstretch getting the half in 56 2/5 and 3/4 in 1:24 1/5.
The favorite led to the 1/8 pole but Idyllic stayed with her the whole way and fought back in the final 1/16 to win by 3/4 length in 1:53. It was another 1/4 length back to 21-1 Strike at Attitude third.
Results chart from Mohawk
Also on the card:
Metro Pace won by Mystician
Canadian Pacing Derby won by Won the West
Idyllic heads for the winner's circle
Winning trainer Casie Coleman, who trained the first 2 finishers, said, "I felt really good coming for home with these fillies. From day one these two fillies (Idyllic and Pretty Katherine) trained down together and I didn't know which one was better and I still don't. I never give the drivers instructions but I was comfortable getting away 1-2. (Pretty Katherine) did all the road work and there was a huge head wind turning for home that she had to deal with.
They raced absolutely awesome."
The last stakes race on Saturday night is the $78,000 Canadian Pacing Derby, featuring some of the best older pacers going the standard 1 mile distance. Defending champion Shark Gesture, winner of the Haughton Memorial last out, was sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the field of 10 over 9-4 second choice Hypnotic Blue Chip, winner of his division of the U.S. Pacing Championship, and 3-1 third choice Won the West, who won his U.S.
Pacing Championship division.
Shark Gesture on the outside and 10-1 Bigtime Ball on the inside battled on the front end through fractions of 27 and 55 1/5 with 50-1 Keystone Horatio stalking them third. On the far turn, Shark Gesture broke stride while Hypnotic Blue Chip, 4th early, came out wide to take over a 1/4 length lead at the top of the lane through 3/4 in 1:23 1/5. Won the West, who was 5th for the first 3/4 mile, closed with a rush on the far outside to pass Hypnotic Blue Chip to win by 1 1/2 length in 1:51 2/5. It was just a neck back to 12-1 Bettor Sweet third, while favorite Shark Gesture was 8th beaten 10 3/4 length.
Results chart from Mohawk
Also on the card:
Metro Pace won by Mystician
She's A Great Lady Stakes won by Idyllic
Winning driver Dave Miller said, "I just left the gate. I wanted to make sure I was up close to the front. I decided I’d take back and follow (Hypnotic Blue Chip). The trip worked out great. I had live cover right to the stretch. And I was able to go left (towards the rail), which always helps this horse and he paced good right through the wire. He’s a good horse. (Hypnotic Blue Chip) had a couple of lengths on me.
But my horse, once he got straightened away, he took right off."