Distaffers In Spotlight At Mohawk Qualifiers
A former O'Brien Award winner put in her first charted line of the 2010 season during this morning's nine-race qualifying session at Mohawk Racetrack
.
After having last raced October 17 in the $189,000 final of the Forest City Pace at Western Fair Raceway, five-year-old Allamerican Native mare A And Gs Confusion took to the track this morning during Race 2.
The career winner of 10 of 43 races and over $1.4 million in purses left from Post 6 with Mark MacDonald in tow. Trained by Casie Coleman, A And Gs Confusion sat mid-pack for the majority of the mile, finished fourth by more than four lengths, and paced her mile in 1:55.
Arts Diva was the one which reigned supreme in Race 2. In rein to Paul MacDonell for trainer Ken Sucee, Arts Diva, a five-year-old Art Major mare, went to the front from Post 2 and did all the work the rest of the way. The career winner of 11 of 56 starts and over $491,000 in purses went to the top early, cut the fractions in :29, :58 and 1:26.2 before coming home with a :27.4 final quarter to seal the deal. The margin of victory was a quarter length over Shady Cam (driven by Mario Baillargeon). Arts Diva was making her second qualifying performance of the season with the mile. Her initial charted line of 2010 came at Kawartha Downs on April 3.
A Pippin Hanover, winner of the 2010 Miss Vera Pacing Series, made her first start back since the February 11 payday in Race 6. With Mark MacDonald in the racebike for trainer Kris Di Cenzo, the three-year-old Dragon Again filly put in a wire-to-wire effort. The bay cut the fractions in :28.3, :58 and 1:27 before coming home with a :28.2 final quarter. The win time was 1:55.2 and the margin of victory was six and a half lengths.
To view the charted results from this morning's qualifying session from Mohawk Racetrack, click here.