by Melissa Keith

Live racing returned to Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, April 1, after a week dedicated to track maintenance ahead of the busy stakes season. The New Holland Series finals for trotters and pacers were highlights of the 15-race card, rescheduled following the previous Saturday night’s cancellation due to high winds.

In the $72,000 New Holland Series Trotting final, 2-1 second choice H P Mama B self-destructed on the front end in an unwelcome April Fools’ Day surprise for driver Louis-Philippe Roy, setting the stage for a minor upset by a track record holder.

H P Mama B pursued leader Locatelli from first over, clearing him after the :28opening quarter and leading to the :56 half. The mare had opened up by three lengths over her closest rival when she spontaneously broke stride on the final turn, leaving Locatelli to inherit command enroute to three-quarters, reached in 1:25.1.

Fast-leaving Franks Angel (driven by Trevor Henry) was gaining on him in deep stretch, but James MacDonald’s gelding maintained a length and a quarter advantage at the wire, winning in 1:56.2. The finish was a top-two repeat from the March 13 second leg of the series, in which Locatelli held off Franks Angel in 1:54.3 in one of two divisions.

Even-money favorite Sermon (Bob McClure) was also getting closer to the 6–1 Locatelli down the stretch Saturday night, with simply too much ground to make up. The winner of a March 13 second leg of the New Holland Series, Sermon delivered a wide late kick to finish third in the final.

March 6 first leg winner Itstimetogohome (Doug McNair) closed for fifth, just behind El Toro Loco (Chris Christoforou), the longest shot in the final. The second March 6 opening leg winner, Ritson, was scratched from the final due to illness.

The New Holland Series final was Locatelli’s (4, 1:50.4s; $351,202) second win this year for owners Thestable Locatelli Group of Guelph, ON and Hutchison Harness Llc of North Ridgeville, OH. The 5-year-old gelded son of Muscle Hill–Girlie Tough is trained by Harry Poulton.

“I know H P Mama B, when she goes for it, she kind of goes for it all,” said James MacDonald speaking to Woodbine’s Mark McKelvie. “‘Loci’ was struggling to stick with her. [H P Mama B] was throwing down some fractions, so when [she] rolled off, obviously… Locatelli’s the kind of horse, he’s tough to get by down the lane. He’s not the quickest horse, but he doesn’t like to give it up, either. We didn’t have a whole lot left in the tank, but we got the job done.”

Having outside post position nine was something the winning trainer and driver had considered before the final.

“Yeah, Harry [Poulton] and I had talked throughout the week and I’m sure you could see when ‘Mama B’ was letting it rip in the last turn, he got running in pretty bad, but he gets off the gate better when he’s hung up like that [from the outside] and that was the plan from the get-go,” MacDonald said. “He’s only five, but he’s a classy horse. I just can’t say enough good about him. He tries and he gives you all he’s got, and he did again tonight.”

Look for Locatelli in upcoming events for older trotters at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

“I think Anthony [MacDonald] and TheStable [fractional ownership group], they’ve got him paid up to some big dances. So, you know, he’s going to have to get right on his ’A’ game and right back on track, but I think he can,” said the gelding’s regular WMP driver. “Anytime they win, you know, they go back to their stall happy and he’s going to sleep well tonight and prepare for the rest of the season.”

Sold for $170,000 at the 2019 Harrisburg yearling sale as “Get Touch Hanover,” Locatelli shares Woodbine Mohawk Park’s 1:50.4 divisional record for older male trotters with Mister Herbie, Guardian Angel As and Musical Rhythm.

Two races later, Nautical Hanover and MacDonald completed a New Holland Pacing Series sweep in the $70,500 final. Although Camara Moment (McNair) and Woodmere Stealdeal (Henry) were quickest off the gate, 3-2 favorite Nautical Hanover wasn’t far behind, settling fourth behind 19–1 longshot The Longest Yard in the first turn.

Camara Moment remained in charge to the :27.2 opening quarter and :56.2 half, with Woodmere Stealdeal in the pocket, before Nautical Hanover began advancing first over. The leader offered little resistance as MacDonald’s horse quickly made the front, followed loosely from fourth by second-over Ario Hanover (Roy) approaching three-quarters.

Nautical Hanover reached that point in 1:24.4 before setting sail down the stretch, with his Ben Baillargeon stablemate Commanding Officer (Tyler Jones) coming from near last for place, followed closely by a second double-digit longshot, Momas Son Byrne (Christoforou). The Longest Yard (Austin Sorrie) stayed up for fourth, surviving an inquiry after going inside two consecutive pylons when Ario Hanover bore in on him. Southbeach Hanover and Mad Man Hill both scratched from the final, due to lameness and illness, respectively.

The comfortable four-and-a-quarter-length victory was Nautical Hanover’s (p, 3, 1:50.3f; $284,489) third consecutive win this season for owner Richard Berthiaume of Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC. The 4-year-old Captaintreacherous—Naughty Marietta stallion won without MacDonald even pulling his earplugs in the 1:53.2 Saturday night final.

Trainer Benoit Baillargeon answered questions from McKelvie after the race. He was cautiously optimistic about what’s next for the pacer, who sold for a session-topping $180,000 in the November 2020 Standardbred Horse Company Sale.

“Well, we’ll see when he gets the likes of Wheels On Fire and Warrawee Vital and these types of horses, but… he’s a 4-year-old and I think he will mature to be a very, very nice horse.”

The postponement of the New Holland final from March 25 to April 1 posed no problem for horse or trainer: “No. He trained one trip on Tuesday [March 28] and that’s it.”

Baillargeon said he “wasn’t worried about” Nautical Hanover and expressed greater concern about the tough trip of his stablemate: “The other boy was three-deep coming out of the last turn… Commanding Officer is a nice horse. He just keeps coming.”

Nautical Hanover’s 2023 season will be based at his current home track according to Baillargeon.

“He’s going to race here [at Mohawk] because I bought him originally for the Graduate Series and his first start was OK, but after that, [he] wasn’t great. We gave him a little break and we had a little throat surgery [done] on him… Since he’s back from that, he’s a monster and I regret that we’re not eligible to the Graduate, but he’ll be a nice horse to race on Saturday night.”

Speaking of nice Saturday nights: O’Brien Driver of the Year James MacDonald enjoyed six driving wins in total on the April 1 card.

Note: WMP qualifiers have been moved from today (April 7) to Saturday (April 8) this week.