Periculum, Logan Park Victorious in Maple Leaf Trot Eliminations

MILTON, Ont.— Periculum soared over his competition while Logan Park moved up a placing via disqualification to win in their respective $50,000 eliminations for the Maple Leaf Trot on Friday night (Aug. 23) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

In the first elimination, Periculum vaulted from third over and stuck the landing to a wrapped-up open-length win in 1:51.2.

Odds-on favourite Southwind Tyrion took command from Fashion Frenzie past a :27.2 first quarter while driver Scott Zeron positioned Periculum into sixth, nestled behind Its Academic. Hillexotic meanwhile failed to find a seat at the pylons, forcing him to press forward against Southwind Tyrion and fan the flames into a :55 half.

Hillexotic maintained steady pressure on Southwind Tyrion through the final turn as Its Academic tipped from the pylons to catch the cover with Periculum in tow. Southwind Tyrion began to struggle in the fight passing three-quarters in 1:23 as Zeron sent Periculum to the center of the track. With open racetrack ahead, Periculum motored to the lead and zipped away to win by 4-3/4 lengths. Osceola followed the winner’s move to take second while Fashion Frenzie shook free from a locked pocket for third. Hillexotic held fourth and Gaines Hanover earned the last spot into the final.

“He was everything Mattias [Melander] told me, and Mattias has done a good job driving him,” Scott Zeron said after the race.” [Periculum]’s got great manners out on the racetrack, and when you ask him down the lane he really fires. For the trip to work out that great, that was good luck too.” 

Periculum has now won five times from nine starts this season in his first year back in North America following a Scandinavian campaign last year. Marcus Melander trains the 5-year-old son of Muscle Hill who now has 10 victories from 42 tries and $563,543 earned for owners Brixton Medical Inc. and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd.

“He’s been racing great all season and he had some bad luck in those big races,” Melander said. “One time he got parked, and last time he was in at Pocono against Jiggy Jog and those and he raced really good against them first over. He’s better on the bigger track, especially when he can sit like this third-over or fourth over. He’s really fast. He’s so much stronger now than when he was 3. He carries himself a lot better… he’s a very good horse." 

Sent the 3-1 second choice, Periculum paid $8.30 to win.

Melander appeared poised for a sweep of the Maple Leaf Trot eliminations until the steadfast Venerate bobbled in stride and crossed the finish on an extended break, which placed runner-up Logan Park first in the second elimination.

Venerate, the 2-1 second choice, muscled out of post 6 to the point before a :27 first quarter and scurried over the track under a snug, but headstrong, hold. He clocked a :55.2 half and three-quarters in 1:22.4 before slipping from his smooth gait into a gallop as he drifted off the pylons entering the final eighth. Logan Park, sitting the pocket trip, gave pursuit up the inside and crossed the line second, one length behind Venerate, whose violation of the breaking rule forced his disqualification to tenth. M Ms Dream pushed first over to finish second after the disqualification with the remaining berths for the final going to Ghostly Casper in third, Oh Well in fourth and Helpfirstedition in fifth.

“I was trying to go up the rail a little bit. I had a bit of horse just before [Venerate] went off stride, but other than that I just wanted to stay out of his way,” Doug McNair said after the race. “He’s been a great ride for the last couple of years. He won the Breeders Crown elim last year and was fourth in the final, so he shows he can go with the top horses in North America and hopefully he gets a good race next week.”

Logan Park, a 6-year-old gelding by Archangel, has now won 31 races from 74 starts and banked $1,292,644 for owners Outofthepark Strable, Reg Higgs and Arpad Szabo. Kyle Fellows trains the gelding who paid $5.40 to win.

In winning their eliminations, Periculum and Logan Park earned a protected draw between posts 2 through 6 for the Maple Leaf Trot final, which goes to post next Saturday (Aug. 31) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The draw for the Maple Leaf Trot will take place during the card this Saturday (Aug. 24).

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Ray Cotolo for Woodbine Communications

Mark McKelvie

Mark McKelvie

Sr. Manager Communications, Woodbine Entertainment

 

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Woodbine Entertainment is the largest horse racing operator in Canada, with Thoroughbred horse racing at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, and Standardbred horse racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Milton. Woodbine Entertainment also owns and operates HPIbet, Canada’s only betting platform dedicated to horse racing. Woodbine and Mohawk Park are host to several world-class racing events including The King’s Plate, three Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races, and the Pepsi North America Cup. Run without share capital, Woodbine Entertainment has a mandate to financially invest all profit back into the horse racing industry and the 25,000 jobs it supports across Ontario.

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