It’s Ladies’ Night on Friday night, May 30, at Mohawk Racetrack, as fans get to view a fantastic fanfare of feminine horsepower as 11 of the 13 races on the card are slated for fillies and mares, with the highlight being four full $75,000(C) divisions of the Casual Breeze stakes for 3-year-old distaff trotters. In the first of these divisions, rookie standout Bella Dolce has drawn post position two, with Paul MacDonell in the bike. The first-crop daughter of Kadabra earned $321,797 last year for owner-breeder David McDuffee and trainer Richard "Nifty" Norman, with her most significant victory coming in the Champlain Stakes in September. Feels Like Magic, who was recently a game second to Somebody to Love in the OSS Gold final at Mohawk, is also entered in the first division, leaving next to Bella Dolce in post three. But handicappers have given favorite status to Amy Kane, a daughter of SJ's Caviar who made the move from Montreal to John MacMillan’s barn in Spencerville, Ont. this spring and thus far is unbeaten in seven starts for owner Percy Elkins of Campbellville. In the second division, watch for American invader Poster Pin Up, brought northward by trainer Trond Smedshammer. The Andover Hall filly was a $75,000 yearling purchase and was never off the board in six starts as a 2 year old. She has been rated the 4-5 favorite in her eight-horse division. Swedish-bred and owned Lantern Kronos may turn out to be the standout in the third Casual Breeze division. Jimmy Takter trains this daughter of Viking Kronos, who has been three-for-three in her sophomore season, including one win at the Meadowlands and two at Mohawk. She’s rated at even money in the morning line, but she may be hampered by an outside post position, and by Somebody To Love, the Darren McCall trainee who recently won both the OSS Gold elimination and final for her age group at Mohawk. Luc Ouellette will be doing the driving on this Angus Hall lass who’ll leave from post six. In the fourth and final division of the Casual Breeze, Takter will be sending out Its My Time, yet another daughter of Angus Hall who was recently victorious in an OSS Gold elimination (and trotted third to Somebody To Love and Feels Like Magic in the May 18 final). Its My Time earned $220,831 in her freshman year for Takter’s wife Christina, John and Jim Fielding of Toronto, and the Free Money Stable LLC, of Bethlehem, Pa.
She’ll likely face a challenge from Parcc Side, a Credit Winner filly trained and co-owned by Allen Tomlinson. Parcc Side made a break and finished out of the money in her most recent start at Mohawk on May 23, but previous to that misfire she had scored a win and a second at the Campbellville oval, as well as a four-length victory at Michigan’s Hazel Park in April. With Trevor Ritchie at the lines on Friday, Parcc Side has been installed as the lukewarm 7-2 favorite. Also entered in the final field is Torch, another Kadabra daughter who won over $260,000 as a 2 year old for trainer Carl Jamieson and partner Ken Henwood. This will be the sophomore debut for Torch, and she’ll have substitute driver Steve Condren at the lines for the journey while regular pilot Jody Jamieson focuses his attention on the Molson Pace at the Western Fairgrounds. (WEG)
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