Trainer Andy Moore’s homebred three-year-old pacing filly Margosgotthecargo took a new lifetime mark of 1:53.1 on Friday, March 1 at Woodbine Mohawk Park while recording her sixth win in as many starts.
Back in action at Mohawk after winning the Blizzard Series final two weeks ago, the undefeated daughter of Big Jim and Maplelea lowered her lifetime mark by three-fifths of a second with the hot-handed James MacDonald driving as she rallied off lagging cover to best a field of 10 in the evening’s second race, a $19,000 fillies and mares conditioned pace.
Margosgotthecargo landed in sixth from post nine as a handful of mares left from the inside with one breaker backing through the pack and pulling up. Premier Delight and Scott Young established the lead through a :26.4 quarter and set middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:24.4. Meanwhile, MacDonald made his move with Margosgotthecargo at the midway mark, flushing Starbets and Trevor Henry from the four-hole. With her cover stalled through the final turn, Margosgotthecargo rallied wide into the stretch and kicked home to win by 1-1/2 lengths with a :27 final frame. Yes Im Hungry closed between foes for Phil Hudon to nab the runner-up honours with Starbets getting into gear down the lane to finish third.
Margosgotthecargo launched her career with a maiden win at Rideau Carleton Raceway last December for her Osgoode, Ont. trainer and then won her next five starts when shipping in to race at Mohawk. The perfect filly has accumulated $58,200 in purses so far in her young career.
A win bet on Margosgotthecargo, the overwhelming 1-9 favourite, paid just $2.30.
A two-leg Blizzard winner and runner-up to Margosgotthecargo last time out in their series final match-up, Angostura Hanover ($4.80) won her $23,000 assignment on Friday in a career-best 1:52 for trainer Kyle Fellows. Kicking off a natural hat trick on the card, MacDonald got the four-year-old Betting Line-Armbro Amoretto mare back to her winning ways in the evening’s opener. Wildcat Star ($3) gave MacDonald his third win of the night when the pacing mare scored in 1:51.3 for trainer Tim Gillespie.
Canada’s three-time Driver of the Year later teamed up with another perfect three-year-old pacing filly in the sixth race as Bob McIntosh’s homebred Catch My Breath ($2.40), a Thinking Out Loud sister to O’Brien Award finalist Moment Is Here, won her second straight in a new mark of 1:54.2 over stablemate Think Ahead.
MacDonald also guided trotting mare Spicy Red Head ($7.30) to a 1:56.1 victory in the eighth race for trainer Courtney Robson, giving him a total of five wins throughout the 10-race card.
Before the racing action began on track, another driving star, Scott Zeron, joined the Mohawk pre-game show to discuss highlights from his 2023 Dan Patch Award-winning season as U.S. Driver of the Year, including his North America Cup victory. The interview is available below.
(Standardbred Canada)
