A nine-race slate of qualifying action took place over Woodbine Mohawk Park on Tuesday morning (July 14). The docket kicked off with four races for two-year-olds, but the last race of the session proved to pack the most pizzazz.
In the finale, a six-year-old Down Under mare made her North American charted debut, and she utilized a notable back-half brush to get the job done.
The mare in question is Smoke N Reactor N, and she lined up in Post 2 for Travis Cullen in Race 9, which was contested over a 'fast' track.
(Please note that Smoke N Reactor N's qualifying race starts at roughly the one-hour and 44-minute mark)
Cullen left out a bit, but opted to settle the Auckland Reactor N mare into fourth through the :28.2 opening quarter, as multiple horses took shots at the lead. Although the duo maintained their position in the second frame, they found themselves losing a bit of ground, as they were nine and three quarter lengths in arrears by the time the half-mile timer was clicked off in :56.3.
Cullen asked Smoke N Reactor N for some pace in the third panel and his charge was willing to oblige. The bay made up five lengths on the final turn and was positioned third, charted four and three-quarter lengths in arrears by the time the third station flashed to life in 1:25.2.
Smoke N Reactor N continued to erase her disadvantage early in the final quarter, as she was just three quarters of a length off the lead at the head of the stretch.
Smoke N Reactor N continued her charge home, as she swung three wide, paced out to the lead and opened up three and a half lengths on her rivals before nailing the wire with relative ease. The mare utilized a :27.3 final quarter to notch the 1:54 win.
Smoke N Reactor N is owned by Travis Cullen and is trained by Rachel Andrew.
A quartet of races for two-year-olds kicked off the Tuesday session, and it was A Better Game (1:55.2), Amazing Bet (1:56.2), YS Do It Right (1:58), and Stonebridge Armour (2:00.1) that took turns recording victories.
To view the harness racing results from Mohawk's Tuesday qualifying session, click the following link: Tuesday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).