Laughandbehappy enjoyed a perfect two-hole trip en route to capturing the $400,000 Milton Stakes on Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.
After finishing third behind dead-heat winners Dreamfair Eternal and Anndrovette in her elimination last week, Laughandbehappy returned to the Campbellville oval to score a 1:50.2 triumph in the final for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Tony O’Sullivan.
Blasting off the wings of the gate from Post 4, Anndrovette took control of the field stacked with five O’Sullivan trainees during a speedy :26.3 opening quarter. The five-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover-Zinful proceeded to the half in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:24.1 while Warrawee Koine (Luc Ouellette) remained parked out after firing off the gate from the eight post.
Defending champion Dreamfair Eternal (Randy Waples), who got away fourth, tipped out behind Warrawee Koine down the backstretch and angled three-wide as they neared the third quarter mark. As the field entered the stretch, Maureen Rocks (Scott Zeron) drifted out from third and caused interference to Dreamfair Eternal, who made a break in stride.
Meanwhile, on the front Jamieson pulled Laughandbehappy from the pocket and closed in on Anndrovette, getting up in the final strides to win by half a length. Maureen Rocks finished third but was placed back to 10th for causing interference in the stretch. Blissfull Smile (Jack Moiseyev) inherited third as a result of the placing.
“It’s really a fulfilling win," said Jamieson, noting his mare's poor racing luck in previous Mohawk performances, including a close second place showing to Dreamfair Eternal in the Roses Are Red Stakes on July 23. "Last week, I had a lane up the inside, but she was running out bad. I was most concerned about just getting out tonight and being in a good spot. I line up behind Anndrovette, which was the spot to be. I knew around the last turn if I got out I was going to be real dangerous. This mare just has a heart of gold. She probably came home in :25.3 or :25.4 to win and beat some really good mares.”
Laughandbehappy paid $8.40 to win as the 3-1 second choice.
The win was Laughandbehappy’s seventh of the season in 23 starts and pushed her earnings to $552,210. Lifetime, she has won 26 of her 55 starts while banking $721,945. The bay mare, a co-track record holder at Mohawk, is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc., Mentally Stable Inc., Robert Cooper Stables LLC and Jerry Silva.
Jamieson also won the $50,000 Open Pace earlier on the card with the pocket-pulling St Elmo Hero for trainer Meg Crone and owner John Barnard. The five-year-old Western Hero-Crystal Crickett gelding prevailed in 1:49.2 by three-quarters of a length over Mach Dreamer (Rick Zeron) and pacesetter Bigtime Ball (Paul MacDonell).
The Moffat, Ont. reinsman also clicked with pacing filly Back Yard Baby in 1:52.1 in the Ontario Sires Stakes Semifinals for sophomores and conditioned pacer Hilarious Halo in 1:50.4 in the 12th race.
Following his six-win performance on Friday and grand slam tonight, Jamieson is just four victories away from the 6,000 career-win milestone.