Free For All action was fast and furious on the stakes undercard at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Sept. 23.
In the $75,000 Free For All Trot, Logan Park (pictured above) fought off even-money favourite Fashion Frenzie in a big mile, widening by nearly three lengths at the end for a 1:50.4 victory.
When the wings of the gate opened, Logan Park (Doug McNair) and Oney Hall (James MacDonald) left together with the latter forging ahead into a :27 opening quarter. But McNair looped Logan Park around that foe down the backstetch with Fashion Frenzie (Louis-Philippe Roy) hot on his heels from third and trotting up alongside as they passed the half in :55.2. Those two continued to battle on top around the final turn with 9-5 second choice Amigo Volo (Dexter Dunn) angling second-over then three-wide, but Logan Park shook off his challengers to three-quarters in 1:22.4 and drew off down the lane, coming within two-fifths of a second of the all-age trotting Canadian record and just a fifth off his own record for older geldings. Oney Hall finished up in second with Amigo Volo third while Fashion Frenzie faded in the stretch.
Dropping out of stakes company, Logan Park, who last won Mohawk’s Free For All Handicap on July 24, was sent postward at odds of 6-1 and returned $15.50 to win and $6 to place with no show wagering.
The Archangel-Rite Outa The Park gelding earned the eighth win of his five-year-old campaign from 15 starts and his 20th career win, boosting his bankroll to $953,492. Kyle Fellows trains Logan Park for owners Outofthepark Stable of Rockwood, Ont., breeder Reg Higgs of Strathroy, Ont., and Arpad Szabo of Bradford, Ont.
Returning to the scene of his Canadian Pacing Derby triumph two wins ago, Tattoo Artist powered to a season’s best 1:47.3 victory in the $75,000 Free For All Pace.
Firing off the gate from the the far outside post nine, Tattoo Artist cleared to command at the quarter pole in :26 and never looked back. He set middle splits of :54.3 and 1:22 en route to the 2-1/4-length victory. Funatthebeach N (Yannick Gingras) chased in second after leaving out with the winner early on while Linedrive Hanover (James MacDonald) advanced down the backside to finish third.
Tattoo Artist, who won the Jim Ewart Memorial Pace at Scioto Downs last time out, stretched his win streak to four in a row and paid $2.80 to win and $2.40 to place as the heavy 2-5 favourite. There was no show wagering.
Trained by Dr. Ian Moore while racing in Canada, the six-year-old son of Hes Watching-Stylish Artist inched closer to the $3 million earnings mark and is now just $892 shy of the milestone. He earned his fifth victory of the season from 18 starts and his 37th win overall.
Tattoo Artist is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc. of Boca Raton, Florida, Frank Cannon of Sanford, Florida, Diamond Creek Racing of Wellsville, Pennsylvania and Bottom Line Racing of Boca Raton, Florida.
Set to head to the breeding shed to stand stud in 2024, the O’Brien Award-winning pacer will look to finish his career with starts planned in the Dayton Pacing Derby, Breeders Crown and FanDuel/TVG.
In a $45,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace, Dabarndawgswatchin turned in a career-best 1:49 performance to top the distaffers.
Louis-Philippe Roy made his move from third with inside starter Dabarndawgswatchin once a parked out So Much More (James MacDonald) worked past the quick-leaving Shes Got It All (Scott Zeron) after a :26.2 opening quarter. Dabarndawgswatchin swept to the lead midway down the backstretch and led the field of 10 mares to the half in :54.2 and three-quarters in 1:21.3 before holding one length clear of the late-surging 2-5 favourite, Sylvia Hanover (Bob McClure), with 7-2 second choice So Much More digging in down the lane to finish third.
Dabarndawgswatchin was the 5-1 third choice and paid $13.80 to win.
David Menary trains the five-year-old Hes Watching-Addison Bay mare, who now has four Preferred wins from her 20 seasonal starts as she lowered her lifetime mark by three-fifths of a second. The 19-time winner with career earnings of $591,614 is owned by breeders Julie Ferguson of Greely, Ont., and Lloyd Stone of Portland, Ont.
(Standardbred Canada)
