Six qualifying races went behind the starting gate Monday morning at Mohawk Racetrack

.

Hall of Famer Ron Waples guided Learn The Lingo to the win in the first of the six tilts. The three-year-old Earl gelding trotted his mile in 1:59.1, defeating Grumpy Jake (driven by Jack Moiseyev) by nearly three lengths. Learn The Lingo was unraced at two, and this year has amassed a record of three wins and a third in nine tries. His most recent victory was in a $19,000 conditioned event at Mohawk on October 1.

Rogers Place (Simon Allard) took the second qualifier by a nose over Blue Star Outlaw (Phil Hudon) in 1:58. The three-year-old son of Artsplace is trained by Rene Allard for British harness racing enthusiast Tom Hill, who also owns several horses campaigned by Casie Coleman, including Art Colony (second in the 2009 North America Cup). This was the colt’s first start since being scratched 'lame' from an event at Flamboro Downs in July of this year.

Hitithard front-stepped to victory in the third contest and stopped the timer in 1:59.3 for driver Mike Saftic. Conditioned by John Ciarpelli for Anne Della Maestra and Faye Antoniou, Hitithard is a sophomore son of Mr Lavec who has racked up $171,000 in earnings thus far, much of it in the Ontario Sires Stakes.

Doug Lovely student Borderline Western (Doug McNair) pocket-sat behind One Ace Too Many (Roger Mayotte) then angled out to take the fourth qualifier in a smart 1:55.3. The four-year-old Rambaran gelding is co-owned by Lovely with Elmer Jorgensen and is a veteran of 55 starts. He is coming off a six week break.

Simon and Rene Allard had a second winner on the morning in Kashas Kid, who took Race 5 in 1:57.4, defeating Cadillac Hall by four and a half lengths. Kashas Kid, a black four-year-old trotting gelding by Andover Hall, last made a pari-mutuel appearance on July 5 at Mohawk. He has qualified three times this October.

Road Hammer got home first in the final tilt, as he converted a pocket trip to win in 1:55.2 for Jason Brewer. James De Chellis trains the four-year-old gelded son of Cammibest for Nino De Chellis and Dave Wheeler. This was Road Hammer’s first start since finishing sixth in a $23,000 conditioned event at Mohawk on June 8.

Click here to view the charted harness racing results from the Mohawk qualifying session.

(WEG)