Powerful Toy takes Cane Pace for first win

PPowerful Toy and Astreos were magnificent in the 46th running of the $331,350 Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway on Labor Day.

Both horses showed the courage and talent it takes to win a Triple Crown race, but only one of them could win and that was Powerful Toy, who picked an opportune time to win his first race of the year.

All eyes were on pre-race favorites Astreos (who had won his Cane Pace elimination in a track-record equaling 1:51.4) and Tyberwood (winner of his elimination heat in 1:54.1). In the luck of the draw, Tyberwood got the rail, post position one, while Astreos was on the outside in eight.

Right in the middle of the eight-horse field, in post position four, was Powerful Toy, who had finished second to Astreos in that record-equaling 1:51.4 elimination. What was most important about that second place was the way Powerful Toy ran, from the front, cutting the fast fractions. Driver Luc Ouellette picked up on how well his pacer ran in the lead and that determined his game plan for the final.

"We found out last week that he is better on the front," said Ouellette.

So, when the eight-horse field left the gate, Ouellette sent his charger to the front where he was involved in an early speed duel with Tyberwood and driver Ron Silverman.

Ouellette had Powerful Toy’s nose in front at the quarter despite being on the outside of Tyberwood. In the backstretch, Powerful Tool easily moved past Tyberwood and had the rail.

Meanwhile, driver Chris Christoforou got away from the gate clean with Astreos, but couldn’t find the rail. He was second over parked on the outside at the half mile which Powerful Toy went by in 55.3.

Astreos remained parked on the outside as Powerful Toy continued to pace powerfully from the front, passing three-quarters in a quick 1:23.1.

It looked like Christoforou and Astreos were poised to strike in the homestretch as he had the previous week. Certainly, the early speed battle and the pressure of leading the first three-quarters had taken a toll on Powerful Toy. But Astreos had run the whole mile on the outside.

Like two weary boxers in the last round of a championship fight, it wasn’t a matter of heart — both had that. It was a matter of which gallant pacer would have the most left. Although David Miller made a big move with Art Dot Com in the homestretch, there was no real threat to either Powerful Toy or Astreos.

Powerful Toy had the goods in that final quarter-mile, putting in a 28.3, finishing off the race in 1:51.4, equaling the track record for 3-year-old pacers while claiming the first leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown.

"The horse just turned in his best race ever," said Ouellette, who won his first Cane Pace. "He likes this track and he likes half-mile tracks in general. Astreos was at my bridle at the three-quarters, but he wasn’t gaining. He got close in the stretch, but I wasn’t really worried that he’d get by."

Christoforou claimed that he had been interfered with at the head of the stretch by Ouellette when their bikes made contact. There was an inquiry following the race. The judges reviewed the race and did not uphold the protest. The results stood: Powerful Tool in first, Astreos second, and the show horse was Art Dot Com.

Ouellette’s first Cane win put him in the prestigious company of the likes of Stanley Dancer, William Haughton, John Campbell and Mike Lachance, all previous Cane winners.

Powerful Toy joined Albatross (1971), Niatross (1980) and Cam Fella (1982), who are among the great Cane Pace champions of the past. The 3-year-old son of Jate Lobell had earned just $44,091 in 2000 with two second-place finishes in 10 starts. The $165,675 he earned on Labor Day increased his earnings to more than $200,000 on the season and more than $500,000 for his career.

The second leg of the Triple Crown will be the Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio, on Sept. 21. Should Powerful Toy win there, he will go for the Triple Crown on Oct. 14 at the Meadows (Washington, Pa.) in the Messenger Stakes.

In addition to the Cane Pace, the Labor Day card included the $170,000 Lou Babic Memorial final for 2-year-old colts and geldings, and two divisions of the Shady Daisy for 3-year-old filly pacers totaling $148,600.

Future Moves and driver David Miller pulled off a big upset in the Babic, winning in 1:56.0. Nikolaki, the race-favorite, was sixth after starting from the rail.

The Shady Daisy divisions went to Hatsoff Hanover (Ron Pierce) in 1:54.1 and Best Laid Plans (Ouellette) in 1:53.1.