Showtime! Its My Show stellar in Canadian Pacing Derby
MILTON, August 31, 2024 – Its My Show put on a brilliant show in a thrilling edition of the $540,000 Canadian Pacing Derby, Saturday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
El Rey showed the way early, popping to the front soon after the starter car zipped away from the field of 10 (Ruthless Hanover was scratched) as Scott Zeron, in rein to Its My Show, settled the four-year-old bay into second. Huntinthelastdolar, Voukefalas and mutuel choice Abuckabaett Hanover rounded out the top five through an opening quarter in :26.0.
Voukefalas took aim at the leader ahead of the half and struck front ahead of a lively :53.4 half, with El Rey in second, Its My Show, under a patient drive from Zeron, along the rail in third, and Abuckabett Hanover in fourth and on the move.
Voukefalas was clinging to a precarious lead after the three-quarter mark in 1:21, as Abuckabett Hanover amped up the pressure to his outside. El Rey was still in the hunt and Oakwood Ardan Ir looked to enter the fray.
Zeron, meanwhile, was searching for a seam midway down the lane.
After finding daylight, Its My Show powered through along the inside and bested a game Abuckabett Hanover by a nose for all the spoils. Oakwood Ardan Ir was third and El Rey finished fourth.
The final time was 1:48.1.
Winning a big race together at Woodbine Mohawk Park is nothing new for Zeron, trainer Linda Toscano, and the son of Sweet Lou-Put On A Show, who teamed to take last year’s Pepsi North America Cup by a head.
"I was sitting where I wanted to, I just needed to have a little luck to get loose,” said Zeron, who earned his first Canadian Pacing Derby crown. “And you know, anybody in the grandstand could drive this horse. He's so handy. And when he zipped through, he got excited. So, it was a great start and an amazing finish from him.”
Toscano wasn’t certain Its My Show got to the wire first.
“I really thought that he was coming hard. It would have been an awful tough beat because he was really pacing hard to the wire. But I didn't think we got there.”
She was happy to be wrong.
“He does love this track. He likes everything about it up here. He's relaxed. He just sits about his business, and he likes a long stretch.”
With the win, his first since a victory at Oak Grove on May 6, Its My Show, bred and owned by Richard and Joanne Young, is now 11-8-3 from 35 starts, to go along with over $1.7 million in career earnings.
Zeron lauded the bay for his grit and gumption.
“Sometimes, he just tells me, ‘Hey, ease up a little bit and give me a little caretaking trip.’ And when you do something like that, he gives me a result like that.”
A $2 win ticket on Its My Show returned $16.30.
Chris Lomon, Woodbine Mohawk Park Communications
