Equity was without equal for the fifth consecutive start, winning Saturday�s first division of the Canadian Breeders Championship eliminations for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings by three-quarters of a length.
The son of Kadabra is now a
seven-time winner from nine career starts,
all of which have come this season.
Into the first turn in
third,
Equity rushed quickly to the lead
during the second quarter and was never
relinquished his advantage. He carved out a
half-mile in :55.4 and three-quarters in
1:26.2, before crossing the wire in a
career-best 1:55 flat.
The top five trotters in the $35,760 event qualify for next weekend�s final.
Winning Mister (Sylvain Filion) closed stoutly down the lane to finish second. Angeldrive (Rick Zeron), who set the pace into the first turn, finished third. Hour Lavec, who was second over on the second turn, finished fourth.
Equity is owned and trained by Charalambos Christoforou and was driven to victory by Jack Moiseyev, who has partnered the gelding for three straight efforts, including an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final at Georgian Downs on July 11.
�He�s a nice horse to drive. He�s good-gaited. You can race him anywhere you want. He�s pretty game,� said Moiseyev.
Equity needed to be game to hold off the late trot of runner-up Winning Mister, but Moiseyev explained that the winner has a tendency to loaf when he gets to the lead.
�He�s a lazy horse. When you ask him he goes on,� added Moiseyev. �It�s pretty windy tonight. That was a good mile. I feel pretty confident going in. You still have to get the right trip.�
As one of the elimination winners, the connections of Equity will have the luxury of selecting his post position for next week�s final.
Equity returned $3.10, $2.40 and $2.10, combining with Winning Mister ($6.30, $5.60) for a $22.60 exactor. Angeldrive ($7.90) rounded out a triactor worth $309.60.
I Wont Dance rediscovered his winning form by taking Saturday�s second elimination of the Canadian Breeders Championship. The gelded son of Angus Hall overcame a difficult trip from post eight to win his first race since a conditioned event on June 12.
Now a five-time winner from nine starts, the M. Biasuzzi Stable-owned gelding was driven by Trevor Ritchie and is trained by Per Henriksen.
Parlay, who finished second for Jack Moiseyev, and Structure Fire (Jason Brewer), third, rallied late and supplied the $35,760 event with deep-stretch drama. Neither was able to pass I Wont Dance, the odds-on favourite.
I Wont Dance left hard and was hung outside for most of the first quarter (:28.2) by Parlay, the eventual second-place finisher. Nearing the start of the second quarter, Ritchie was able to angle across to the cones, at which point he was tackled from the outside by Zero Boundaries, who had also endured an outside trip on the first turn.
The front-end pressure caused I Wont Dance to carve out a half-mile in :57.3. The gelding stayed on through the third quarter and began to pull away on the second turn.
The trip took its toll in the stretch as I Wont Dance began to show signs of fatigue. Despite a final quarter in :29.4, the wire arrived in time and the brown gelding prevailed by a quarter of a length.
Henriksen was pleased with the performance of I Wont Dance, who was under the wire in 1:56.3.
�He�s on his way back now,� he said, explaining that illness had caused his pupil�s form to sour in his couple of starts. �I think if he can get a trip, I think he might be better than these horses. We know he can beat them on the front end. We get to pick the post and I know we can get better than eight.�
I Wont Dance and Equity, the winner of the first elimination, will pick their posts for next week�s $166,880 final.
I Wont Dance returned $4.30, $3.80 and $2.80, combining with Parlay ($4.40, $3.70) for a $20.30 exactor. Structure Fire ($4.10) rounded out a triactor worth $85. The $1 superfecta was worth $668.15