Sportswriter, Epanephrine win Champlain

Two divisions of the Champlain Stakes, for two-year-old pacing colts, went postward atMohawk tonight as part of a stakes-studded card which also featured superstar three-year-olds, Muscle Hill and Well Said.

Sportswriter once again proved himself much the best of this two-year-old crop as he cruised unchallenged to the wire in 1:51.2, in the first, $160,000 Champlain division.

Jack Moiseyev sent Youkeepmehangingon to the front off the gate, with Western Thorn (John Campbell) riding in his wake, but by the 3/8 pole Steve Condren had energized Rock Me Please to overtake, and Sportswriter, with Mark MacDonald in the bike, took the opportunity to make his move right behind him.

Rock Me Please's lead lasted only seconds before the 1-9 favourite asserted himself, and once on the front end Sportswriter floated to an easy three-length lead. Rock Me Please struggled to find another gear but couldn't, eventually settling for second with Western Thorn third.

Sportswriter, by Artsplace out of the Jate Lobell mare, Precious Beauty, is now unbeaten in six lifetime starts for trainer Casie Coleman and owners Steve Calhoun and the West Wins Stable. Last week, he set a world record for rookie pacing colts by capturing the $1 million Metro Pace in 1:49.2. His earnings now top $685,000.

"I didn't expect that much early speed,"noted MacDonald. "I was happy to get Rock Me Please in front of me. I was hoping to maybe map out another second-over trip, (but) Steve (Condren) smelled that and moved hard, so I had to follow him.

"With any good horse, they can do it any way, and he is just awesome. You can leave with him, or race him third, or whatever you want. He's just a pleasure to drive.He's only two and he's got a big three-year-old year (ahead) so there's no sense going any more than we had to. We had them by three or four (lengths). He just does it so easy."

In the second, $158,000 Champlain division this evening, Steve Condren hustled Rock Me Please's stablemate, Epanephrine, to the win in a lifetime best 1:53.1.

Future Million and Simon Allard set the early pace with Keystone Raptor pocket-sitting as the field moved through early panels of :27.2 and :56.0. Epanephrine tipped out from fifth just after the half-mile
marker and locked horns with Future Million through a third quarter in 1:25.0, with the latter finally yielding in the last strides before the wire. A hard rushing Keystone Raptor found some late racing room to come on for third, with S N P Bluechip (Randy Waples) fourth.

Trained by Bob McIntosh, Epanephrine is a homebred son of No Pan Intended, owned by the Peter Pan Stables of Pepper Pike, Ohio. This was his second win in six tries, and by far the biggest payoff of his career so far.

"He'sshown he's got some speed," commented Condren. "He's still basically learning what it's all about. He had a tough position last time (in the $1 million Metro Pace) coming from the outside against all those good colts. It's just a tough thing he had to overcome last week.

"I thought he fit in pretty good against that bunch tonight, and he proved me right.

"He's still learning, with his open bridle he's still trying to figure things out. He's very good off cover. He showed some different kind of grit tonight." (WEG)

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