Lis Mara wins CPD

Driver Brian Sears worked out a perfect pocket trip and Lis Mara excelled off it, as the 4-year-old son of Cambest captured the $933,000(C) Canadian Pacing Derby in 1:48.4 Saturday night at Mohawk. With the performance, the student of trainer Erv Miller tied Mohawk's all-age track record and also lowered the pacing horse track record in the process.

Mypanmar and driver John Campbell finished one length back in second with Boulder Creek and driver Daniel Dube third.

"In the two starts that I had driven him (prior to the race), I knew that he was something special," said Sears, who opted to steer Lis Mara instead of Boulder Creek. "He was all-out at the end. The front-end speed hasn't been really good tonight, but I was happy with the way it worked out."

As the starting gate pulled away, Sears fired Lis Mara out from post eight and was first to the opening quarter-mile marker, freezing it in :26.3. In the second quarter, driver Campbell came calling from third with Mypanmar. Campbell and his mount cleared before the half-mile indicator flashed to life in a brisk :53.4.

Sears waited patiently in the two-hole as Mypanmar blistered the three-quarters of a mile stanza in 1:20.4. Lis Mara popped off his cover in the stretch and was tough as nails all the way to the wire.

Lis Mara is owned by Louis Willinger and MJG Racing Stables, the latter having purchased an interest in the 4-year-old son of Cambest earlier this month. Following the transaction Lis Mara was sent to trainer Erv Miller. The win was Lis Mara's 12th in his career, with four coming in 2006.

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