CAMPBELLVILLE, September 5 – It was a big night for harness racing driver Randy Waples.
The veteran driver, who turned 50 in July, swept all three of the Standardbred racing's classic races, Metro Pace, Canadian Pacing Derby and Shes A Great Lady, offered Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack.
From the undefeated Control the Moment in the Metro, to the veteran State Treasurer in the Canadian Pacing Derby to the dominant L A Delight in the two-year-old filly race, it was a memorable evening for Waples.
"I was talking to Brett Miller as we are pulling up there (after the Shes A Great Lady) and like I said to Brett, these are the days or the nights that you dreamed about when you were a kid jogging horses on the farm," said Waples. "I like to say I am one of those guys who don't feel pressure that I don't get nervous but I've be lying.
"But the thing is that I find is once I get on the track then I don't think about it. But when you are driving to Tim Hortons or drinking your coffee, you're listening to the radio, yeah, it creeps into your mind. You just don't want to cost people money and make the wrong moves. Tonight it just really worked out. I had three really great horses to drive, and they all showed up."
Here are the recaps of Waples big night.
Control The Moment, driven by Randy Waples, remains undefeated in his rookie campaign after capturing the $685,000 Metro Pace for two-year-olds on Saturday night at Mohawk.
The heavily favoured Control The Moment notched his seventh straight victory for trainer Brad Maxwell, who shares ownership of the colt with Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold and Ben Mudry.
Control The Moment got away mid-pack as Voracity and driver Sylvain Filion controlled the early pace by posting a :26 opening panel.
Sitting fourth, Betting Line and driver Steve Condren was first to make a move and launch a bid for command. Waples and his charge had the same attack plan and went three-wide around Betting Line to take the lead and post the half in :54.2.
Longshot Ideal Rockey put some first-up pressure on Control The Moment in the final turn but as the leader marched passed the three-quarter pole in 1:22.4, he pulled away from the field. Control The Moment was under wraps in deep stretch. The brown colt breezed by the wire with a two and a quarter length margin of victory and stopped the clock in a new lifetime mark of 1:49.4. Betting Line finished second and Voracity was third.
With the win, Waples captured his first Metro Pace trophy.
"It is definitely a race that seems to avoid me," said the reinsman. "I thought I had a real good shot with Arthur Blue Chip [in 2013]. He won his elimination and then got sick going into the final and he had to be scratched. So that as a big let down. It seems like it was just a race that I just can't seem to get there first, but I had a good idea there a few weeks ago, a month ago, that I was going to be sitting pretty good."
Co-owner Howard Taylor is thrilled with how much Control The Moment has accomplished in such a short time.
"It's been absolutely incredible," said co-owner Howard Taylor. "It's been special. When he started racing and won his qualifier, Brad called me up and said, 'Watch that qualifier you can get it online.' He said, 'That was some kind of qualifier.' And it was a qualifier. He was the only two-year-old in the race. Then when he won after his second start he said, 'This is a special colt, I am telling you.' He's the best horse he ever trained, he said."
The son of Well Said and Lifesliltreasure boosts his lifetime earnings to $440,687.
Control The Moment paid $3.10 to win.
Control The Moment
State Treasurer added to his dream season Saturday night with a 1:47.4 victory in the Canadian Pacing Derby at Mohawk Racetrack.
Driven by Randy Waples, State Treasurer showed his grit and determination to secure the lead at the half and pulled away through wicked fractions to win the historic $685,000 Canadian Pacing Derby.
A six-year-old son of Real Desire and Dr. Ian Moore trainee, State Treasurer got away fifth, but was quick to move to the outside and pushed towards the lead. JK Endofanera and Foiled Again waged war on the front-end and Waples opted to move three-wide to circle the lead pair at the half in :53.1.
State Treasurer continued to power forward around the final turn and reached the three-quarter pole in a Track Record equaling time of 1:19.3. The Moore trainee put on a display for the crowd at Mohawk, as he paced home in :28.1 to score a 2 ½ length victory.
Saturday night was the first time since September 2013 that Waples drove the star pacer, as David Miller, State Treasurer's regular driver, opted to race elsewhere.
"It's a really deep field of horses and they are all fast and they are all tough at this level," said Waples, following the race. "When you go into these races you have to respect everyone else and that's what I always do and to see how it was going to play out.
"It's been a long time since I drove him, but I know when you ask him to pace he can go very fast and very quick, so when I seen the way it was setting up at the half I took a shot and it worked out for me."
Shamballa used his impressive closing-speed to come from last to finish second. Limelight Beach finished third, while JK Endofanera held on for fourth to round out the Superfecta.
Just a $6,500 purchase as a yearling, State Treasurer is in the midst of a career best season with over $880,000 earned in 2015.
"You certainly have to give a lot of credit to Randy," said Dr. Moore. "He said 'What do I need to know Doc, it's been a while' and I said use your discretion is all I said, he's been appreciating an aggressive drive lately and the horse was fantastic for sure."
Owned by Sally MacDonald of Souris, Prince Edward Island and Paul MacDonald of Toronto, Ontario, State Treasurer now has 29 career victories and increased his earnings to over $1.8 million.
State Treasurer paid $5.40, $3.40, $3.20 and combined with Shamballa ($4.50, $3.60) for an Exactor of $21.90. Limelight Beach ($13.50) rounded out the top-three for a Triactor of $536.20. The 2-5-7-3 Superfecta with JK Endofanera in the fourth-slot paid $1,367.20.
State Treasurer
After capturing the Metro Pace and Canadian Pacing Derby earlier on the Mohawk's action-packed Saturday card, driver Randy Waples then scored the stakes hat trick with his victory in the $455,000 Shes A Great Lady.
The Bob McIntosh-trained L A Delight not only scored her eighth straight victory in nine outings, the two-year-old pacing miss also helped Waples becomes the first driver to win all three major stakes in the same year.
L A Delight followed behind Thatsoveryverynice, who clocked the opening panel in :27.3, before taking command at the mid-way point and posting a :54.3 half. The 3-5 favourite held the lead passed the three-quarter pole in 1:23 and then marched her way across the wire in a lifetime mark of 1:51.2. L A Delight posting the two and three-quarter lengths victory over Darlinonthebeach. Thatsoveryverynice finished third.
"I knew she had the pedigree to be a good filly," said McIntosh from the winner's circle. "When she came in she was an ordinary looking filly and training down she was one of those ones that was just very workman-like about her job but did nothing to stand out. I thought I had a couple of fillies better than her even, but they're back in the barn. But come time to race she just kicked it in and was a total professional."
The homebred daughter of Bettors Delight and West Of L A boosts her lifetime earnings to $406,145 for owners Robert McIntosh Stables Inc., C S X Stables, and Al McIntosh Holdings Inc.
L A Delight returned $3.30 to win.
L A Delight
Mark McKelvie