Corleone Kosmos takes aim at Classic final

Mature trotting power will step into the spotlight at Mohawk racetrack on Saturday night, June 13, when the $353,710 finals of the Trotting Classic and Classic Oaks go postward, on a stakes-laden card which also features four divisions of the Burlington Stakes for 3-year-old pacers.

Darren McCall trainee, Corleone Kosmos, may have lost by a head last week to longshot Chick N Tell, in the third leg of this series at Mohawk, but the 7-year-old son of SJ's Photo is still considered the one to beat in the Trotting Classic final. Already a Breeders Crown champion, with nearly $1.8 million earned over the course of his career, Corleone Kosmos been rated the 6-5 morning line favorite, despite the presence of other trotting stars such as 5-year-old Arch Madness, who won a division of this series at the Meadowlands on May 1.

"(Corleone Kosmos) hasn’t been his sharpest yet this year," says McCall. "He just felt a little dull last week and got caught right at the wire.

"But he looks better this week –his coat is shinier and he’s been keen, so hopefully he should be very competitive. (Post five) is a better draw for him too--he's a big horse and I’m happy he’ll be able to go a little wider and stretch out a bit, rather than having to fight for the rail into that first turn from the inside."

A new addition to this field is Ron Burke pupil, Four Starz Speed, a 4-year-old gelded son of Conway Hall who will be making his Mohawk debut after coming second in initial legs of this series at Dover Downs and the Meadowlands. He’ll be leaving the far outside in this field of seven on Saturday night, with Yannick Gingras at the controls.

The Classic Oaks final, for fillies and mares three and up, should also be an exciting contest, with last week’s divisional winner, Classic Lane, up against millionaire mare Falls For You, perennial stakes threat, Up Front Hotsey, and 8-year-old warrior princess, Lavec Dream.

The morning line handicappers have assigned even money odds to Falls For You, despite a sixth-place finish in last week’s Oaks division at Mohawk. The daughter of Yankee Glide did produce a :27.2 final quarter in that event, and has been victorious in the other two Oaks divisions this spring, at Dover Downs and the Meadowlands. Mark MacDonald will handle the driving duties for Falls For You, who hangs her harness bag in the shedrow of Trond Smedshammer along with stablemate Spice Queen, who was second last week and will have Paul MacDonell at the lines on Saturday night.

The Trotting Classic is carded as race two, post time 7:51 p.m., and the Classic Oaks is race three, post time 8:12 p.m. There will also be two Classic events for pacing lads and lasses (races six and nine) in addition to four full divisions of the Burlington Stakes. (WEG)

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