MILTON, August 30, 2025— Louis-Philippe Roy planted Emoticon Legacy on the point and carved a comfortable mile as a decisive 1-5 chalk over double-millionaire Maryland to take the Grade 3 $158,125 Simcoe 3-Year-Old Open Trot, one of two Simcoe Stakes events on the Saturday card at Woodbine Mohawk Park, in a stakes record 1:50.3. Roy stretched Emoticon Legacy out of post 6 to reach the fore approaching a :27.2 first quarter while Maryland, off the 9-5 second choice, pushed from the pylon post to race fourth. No challenges on the leader and a slowed tempo to a :57 half then forced Maryland to mount a first-over bid after Emoticon Hanover, at which point Roy promptly hit the accelerator through the far turn. Emoticon Legacy peeled clear enough of the pack that Maryland had room to briefly tuck into the pocket passing three-quarters in 1:24 and ready for a stretch battle. But Maryland lost stride turning for home, leaving Emoticon Legacy on a wide lead as Roy geared him down before crossing the finish to win by 7-1/4 lengths. P L Spencer rallied for second with Fadeaway Hanover settling for third and Pierre In Paris grabbing fourth. Emoticon Legacy and driver Louis-Philippe Roy winning the Simcoe Stakes (G3) at Woodbine Mohawk Park (New Image Media) “You don’t want to go too fast for no reason, but I was feeling a little bad. I felt like he could’ve gone [1:]49 easily tonight,” Roy said after the race. “For a trotting stallion, [1:]49’s kind of the catching number instead of [1:]50, but he’s going to have a chance again. He was so, so good tonight. It was just a training mile for him.” Emoticon Legacy’s 1:50.3 mile nonetheless lowered the stakes record in the Simcoe of 1:51.3 established last year by 2024 Hambletonian runner-up Highland Kismet. The 1:50.3 mile also comes one-fifth of a second shy of the Canadian record Emoticon Legacy set when winning the Goodtimes Stakes earlier this year. Luc Blais trains Emoticon Legacy, a homebred Walner colt out of the champion mare Emoticon Hanover, for owner Determination. The colt won his fifth race from seven starts this season and his ninth race from 14 starts in his career, good for $871,271 in earnings. He paid $2.70 to win in his tightener ahead of the Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations on Saturday, Sept. 13. R Dutchess acquired a pocket ride, lucked into room at the top of the stretch and mounted a formidable challenge against 8-5 second choice Lasting Dream to take the Grade 3 $159,725 Simcoe 3-Year-Old Filly Trot in 1:52.4. Tim Tetrick sent R Dutchess forward out of post 5 and brushed by early leader Sprite Seelster to take the top after a :27 first quarter. Once she crossed to clear the lead, Lasting Dream popped out of third and zipped along the rim to seize command and place R Dutchess into a slipstream on the move to a :56.1 half. More challengers loomed through the far turn with Highlandstarburst hoisting the mast outside, and she ranged within a length of the Lasting Dream on the march to three-quarters in 1:25.3. But Highlandstarburst bobbled off stride rounding the bottom corner, giving R Dutchess space to tip outside and gather momentum for a homestretch sprint. R Dutchess ground past Lasting Dream nearing the final eighth of a mile and slid away to win by two lengths. Sprite Seelster gave pursuit from third and P L Sapphire stormed down the center of the track to take fourth. R Dutchess and driver Tim Tetrick winning the Simcoe Stakes (G3) for fillies on August 30, 2025 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (New Image Media) “I took a little bit of a shot, but I was following one of the best horses in the race,” Tetrick said of his potentially locked trip in the race. “I had really been racing her hard, so I thought the worst case scenario was that she’d find room late and she got lucky and did.” Susie Kerwood assumed training duties on R Dutchess from John Butenschoen for the filly’s Canadian campaign, which points next to the Elegantimage eliminations on Friday, Sept. 12. R Dutchess, leased by M And L of Delaware and Armitage Farm, won her fourth race from eight starts this season and her seventh race from 20 starts overall, earning $515,627. “She’s been good,” Tetrick also said. “She just had one little hiccup on Hambo elimination night; we thought she’d be a contender in the Oaks. She’s been good every start; she’s been one-two every time. She’s a really nice filly. She’s starting to get to show it.” R Dutchess paid $3.20 to win. By Ray Cotolo, for Woodbine Communications Share This:Share