Through a session of 14 qualifiers carded under ideal conditions on Saturday (June 5) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the fastest on each gait employed similar successful tactics.
The fourth qualifier of the morning featured five trotters, and four-year-old Combs Hanover showed his best effort of the season. Trainer Paul MacDonell sat in the garden spot with Combs Hanover as Dream Nation (Scott Young) trotted out fractions of :29.2, :58.4 and 1:27.3. MacDonell gave Combs Hanover his cue in midstretch, and Combs Hanover responded willingly to collar the temposetter and hold off a pylon-skimming Superlative (Jody Jamieson) in 1:56.
Chris & Michael Storms of Picton, Ont. hold the papers on Combs Hanover (Archangel - Chez Lucie), a three-time winner from 15 career starts.
Following that recipe for success, four-year-old Royalty Deal was a winner in her first Canadian outing of the season after winning a qualifier at Spring Garden Ranch nearly two months ago. In the 10th qualifier of the morning, driver Louis-Philippe Roy pocketed Royalty Deal behind Teddys Littleangel. Mike Saftic and Teddys Littleangel looked strong on the front through fractions of :28.3, :57.1 and 1:26.2, but Royalty Deal was stronger turning for home. Angled from the pocket by Roy at the head of the lane, Royalty Deal her rival in the eye and went right on by for the 1:56 score, a length and a half better than a hand-driven Teddys Littleangel.
Clark Beelby conditions Royalty Deal (Royalty For Life - Cha Cha Glide) for John Floren's Coyote Wynd Farms of Vancouver, B.C. When she stayed flat at the end of her sophomore season, she raced impressively with a 1:53.3 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold leg win and third-place finish (by a nose as the betting favourite) in the OSS Super Final.
On the pacing side, the fastest mile of the morning looked to come courtesy Beyond Better in the fifth dash but four-year-old Uhtred had other ideas. Driver Phil Hudon had the lightly-raced son of Art Major situated in second turning for home, with Beyond Better (Sylvain Filion) dictating most of the front-end decisions. Both pacers were asked moderatedly down the stretch, with Uhtred getting up on the outside to win by a head in 1:52.3.
Carmen Auciello trains Uhtred (Art Major - Seaside Rory) for Earl Hill Jr. of Ohsweken and Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ont. As a sophomore, Uhtred made seven starts and posted a 4-1-0 summary with his biggest win coming in the $50,000 NYSS Excelsior Final at Tioga Downs. Uhtred returned to the races this past March and was never worse than second, winning at Mohawk in 1:51.1.
Woodbine Mohawk Park continues qualifiers on Monday, June 7 as the province's harness racing prepares for a return to live harness racing.
To view the results from the qualifying session, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).