SBWhisperer27

The second preliminary leg of The Classic Series (TCS)  was raced on last Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack. Normally a four race event, the Series was reduced to two, the Trotting Classic and Classic Oaks, as both the Pacing Classic and Classic Distaff fell short of the number of entries required to card the race.

Trotting Classic

The betting public didn't have much faith in Breeders' Crown champion, Arch Madness, sending him off at 17-1, but trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer proved his colt was no fluke as he captured the $84,116 Trotting Classic second leg Saturday night (May 31) at Mohawk in 1:54.3.

Smedshammer sent the 4-year-old gelded son of Balanced Image sharply to the front from post 9, assisted by early leader Man About Town breaking stride for Luc Ouellette and veering wide.  3-5 favourite, Corleone Kosmos, tucked into the pocket spot with John Campbell and Claudius Augustus got buffeted into third as Smedshammer took control of the fractions, trotting the first three-quarters of a mile in 28, 57.3, and 1:26.2.  

As the horses entered the stretch it became an all-out sprint, with Arch Madness holding off Corleone Kosmos by a whisker to claim the win.  San Remo Kosmos moved up for the show spot.

A judge's inquiry then revealed that in the final strides of the stretch drive, Corleone Kosmos had switched gaits from trot to pace, technically putting him in violation of the rule which requires horses on a break to continuously lose ground. The judge's decision moved Corleone Kosmos from second to third, with San Remo Kosmos being awarded the place purse.

Trotting Classic Oaks 

In the $84,116 Classic Oaks for trotting fillies and mares, confusion reigned at the start as four mares rolled off-stride either behind the gate or shortly thereafter. Tickets were refunded on two, Speed N The Tunnel and Wishful Me, who were ruled not to have had a fair start.

Snazzy Millie and linesman Steve Condren took quick advantage of the melee and snatched the lead, with Freeze Frame tucking into second for driver-trainer Jim Raymer as they trotted through fractions of 27.1, 56.2, and 1:25.2.  Another potential challenger, Susies Magic, also made a break in the second quarter to put herself out of the action. Thus it was a field of six, from the original 11, who headed into the stretch still in contention.

As Snazzy Millie began to flag, 22-1 shot, Up Front Hotsey, with trainer-driver Mike Vanderkemp, made a strong challenge on the outside and seized the win in 1:54.2.  Brigham Dream rushed up for second, with Lavec Dream grabbing third.

Up Front Hotsey, a 5-year-old daughter of Sjs Caviar-Dixieland Jazz, is owned by Ed Mullinax and Frank Dettore, and paid $47.10, $13.60, and $10.20 for the win.  This was her second victory in 2008.

Yesturday kicked off the opening legs of the Classic Series for the older stars in the sport at Dover Downs in Delaware. The finals will be held later this year at The Meadowlands.

Classic Series Oaks (older female trotters)

Tim Tetrick steered Buck I St Pat to an easy 1:53 track record score, just one-fifth off the world record over a five-eighths-mile oval to win the $85,000 Classic Oaks. The 5-year-old went right to the front and never was headed in scoring her fourth victory of the year for owners Howard Taylor, Ed Gold, Abe Basen and Ron Fuller.

While setting the winning fractions, Tetrick and the daughter of Jailhouse Jesse kept runner-up Snazzy Millie and John Campbell a length back, challenging on the outside from the mid-backstretch to the finish line. Speed N The Tunnel with Tony Morgan got up to finish third.

Classic Series Open Pace (older male pacers)

In the $85,000 Pacing Classic, Artistic Fella followed the cover of Manhardt and George Brennan, testing front-pacing Total Truth and Brian Sears from the clubhouse turn until turning for home before Tim Tetrick unleashed the Pacific Fella 5-year-old down the lane on the way to a 1:50.3 victory.

It was the 2007 Breeders Crown winner's first start off a 1:55 qualifying race at Spring Garden Ranch in South Florida. Counting back to last Fall, the Steve Elliott-trained Artistic Fella has now won his last four races in a row for owner Joe Alborano. Veteran Casimir Camotion rolled down the lane to finish second for Ron Pierce while Mr Feelgood and Andy Miller were the show finishers.

Classic Series Distaff (older female pacers)

My Little Dragon enjoyed a perfect two-hole trip, racing behind odds-on favorite Southwind Tempo in the $85,000 Classic Distaff Pace before exploding to victory.

John Campbell got Southwind Tempo away smartly and controlled the early fractions. At the top of the stretch, Brian Sears took My Little Dragon to the outside and dashed past the leader in a 1:51.3 performance. Southwind Tempo held on for second with her entrymate Benear and Cat Manzi closing for third. Adam Victor & Son own My Little Dragon, a winner of nearly $1.6 million in purses.

Classic Series Open Trot (older male trotters)

The biggest surprise on the super-fast program came in the $85,000 Trotting Classic where 6-1 Enough Talk, a recent purchase by P Kleinhans Racing Inc., could not be caught in a 1:52.2 effort. That clocking lowered the world record for an older trotting gelding on a five-eighths-mile track, breaking the old standard of 1:53.1 held by Woody Woodrow. American Lane with Cat Manzi was the second-place finisher in front of Green Day and Tim Tetrick.

Race favorite Vivid Photo got away near the back in the 10-horse field. Roger Hammer took the former Hambletonian and Trotting Classic champion to the outside, then weakened on the backstretch and finished off the board for one of the rare times in his career.

The Classic Series's next stop is Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellvile, Ontario on Saturday, May 31, 2008.