What’s On Track: September 9th – 10th

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon

Fall Fashion

Much like the Toronto Blue Jays are Canada’s only hope at a World Series title, Fashion Frenzie represents the Great White North’s one shot at the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot at Yonkers Raceway this Saturday.

The two-time O’Brien Award-winning trotter enters the affair in the midst of a successful five-year-old campaign, headlined by a victory in the Honourable Earl Rowe Memorial Invitational. For the year, the Moorefield, ON native owns an impressive 4-2-0 line in seven starts.

Fashion Frenzie (20-1 opening line odds) will look to clear the runway in hopes of securing the most prestigious win of his career.

Dublin Down

Irish-bred filly Fev Rover is making the trip back to Woodbine to defend her crown in the $200,000 Canadian Stakes on September 9.

The 5-year-old draws into the race in impeccable form. In her last six races, all of which have been Grade 1 or 2 contests, Fev Rover is 3-1-2, capped off by a decisive score in the $500,000 Beverly D. Stakes at Colonial Downs in Virginia.

Dual hall of fame trainer Mark Casse, who’s seen and done just about everything in the world of Thoroughbred racing, gushed over his star pupil ahead of Saturday’s running.

A win from Fev Rover at 8-5 won’t get you any closer to a new car, but a Twix from the vending machine sounds like a pretty solid consolation prize. Just don’t buy it from a car dealership to avoid a George Constanza-esque situation.

Baker’s Dozen

Before taking to the couch for a full slate of NFL football on Sunday, dig into Mohawk’s 13-race card on Saturday night.

Featuring 10 stakes races (four Champlain, three Ontario Sires, and three Simcoe), think of Saturday’s loaded card as the horse racing equivalent of NFL RedZone with Scott Hanson. Starting at 7:10 p.m. EST., some of Mohawk’s biggest names, including James Macdonald and Doug Mcnair will take centre stage.

Macdonald, Mohawk’s top driver by earnings, will have a chance to extend his lead in each of the 13 races, while Mcnair, who currently sits in third, has 10.

Be sure to monitor the race within the race when putting your bet slip together.

Show up and Show out

The horses won’t be the only spectacle during Saturday’s Greenwood Stakes at Woodbine. That’s right, it’s time to put on your Sunday best one day early and embrace the pageantry of Toronto’s style-infused trackside day festival.

Walk down the red carpet and pause for a photoshoot, all while enjoying the selection of specialty food and beverage options. For the race itself, which runs ninth in the card of 12, Artie’s storm is the favourite at 2-1.

There’s another name to keep an eye on, and that is Luckman. The gelding won his last appearance on June 18, showing incredible poise and endurance down the stretch to rise above the competition.

If you missed on this year’s running of the King’s Plate, the fifth running of the Greenwood Stakes is your chance to style, watch, and wager on wire-to-wire action.

Need for Speed

What’s one of the first thing’s people usually ask about a sportscar? What’s the 0-60? The same question can be asked about the horses competing in this Sunday’s $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

The aptly named ‘dash’ is a 5-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Those looking to bet on the race will be intrigued by the remarkable consistency of several of the runners, including Sassy Beast and Daring Do.

In 19 career starts, Sassy Beast owns an 8-2-7 line, headlined by a triumph in the Andy Guest Stakes in July. Daring Do, the much less experienced of the two, has only run five times, but never to a finish lower than third (3-0-2).

Both make for exciting options this Sunday.