The freshmen were out in full force during Thursday’s qualifying session at Rideau Carleton Raceway, and things started well for trotting colts from the

stable of trainer Jason Gilchrist.

The top three finishers – Northern Pledge (Striking Sahbra), Oaklea Timber (Oaklea Julian) and Ready To Cruise (Mutineer) - in the first qualifier finished within a neck of another in a time of 2:07.

Northern Pledge, who was driven to victory by Gilchrist, is owned by A K Malik Stable of Ottawa, ON and J Gilbert Van Allen of Gatineau, QC. The colt, who was a $17,000 purchase from last year’s Forest City Yearling Sale, is the first foal out of an unraced daughter of O’Brien Award winner Donven Promise (1:54.2 - $757,044).

Gilchrist also clicked in the next qualifier with the Real Artist miss Artistic M N M, who drew away to a four-length triumph in 2:00. Marie May Desbit (Shanghai Phil) and Rhea Nourrir (Dragon Again) were the best of the rest in the all-filly tilt.

Artistic M N M was purchased for $7,000 by Gilchrist at last year’s Forest City Yearling Sale.

Buckhams Bay trotted to a 2:04.3 victory over a co-ed group of two-year-olds in the third qualifier. The son of Ken Warkentin was rated through fractions of :31, 1:03 and 1:34 by Hall of Fame teamster Jacques Hebert before rolling home in :30.3 en route to the winning effort over the filly Stormont Sorel (Stormont Bronze) and the colt Holy Kadabra (Kadabra).

The homebred youngster is owned and trained by John Smith. Smith had the privilege of developing the colt’s stakes-winning siblings - Mc Cooeye (1:55.1 - $1,126,791, Merles Pearl (1:55.4 - $337,914), Potato Race (1:55.3 - $313,549) and Magoo (1:56.1 - $275,418),

Majo Lincoln Phil, a colt from the first crop of Lincoln Parke (1:49.3 - $619,825), used a :29.3 final quarter to win by a nose in 2:03 in the fourth qualifier for trainer/driver Mario Lachance, who also bred co-owns the juvenile with Lynda Fortin of Mirabel and Jacques Hebert of Sainte-Henedine, QC.

To view Thursday’s results, click here.