A New 'Emoticon' Legacy Beginning?
Emoticon Legacy, the second foal out of two-time Breeders Crown champion and double millionaire Emoticon Hanover and a Walner brother to last year's Peaceful Way Stakes winner Drawn Impression, topped the two-year-old trotters qualifying on Tuesday, July 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The 10-race qualifying session on Tuesday morning featured half a dozen baby races with the Luc Blais-trained trotting colt Emoticon Legacy winning his second consecutive qualifier in 1:59 flat.
Driver Louis-Philippe Roy took the Determination homebred to the top over stablemate Eurobank Hanover, a Greenshoe brother to Emoticon Hanover, as the first quarter went in 32 seconds. Emoticon Legacy held a two-length lead through middle splits of 1:01.3 and 1:30.4 before finishing off the mile with a :28.1 final quarter sprint. Eurobank Hanover followed in second and You Got It Kemp chased in third.
Emoticon Legacy's third qualifying mile of his career followed up a successful two-minute mile with a :27.1 pocket-popping final quarter last week.
Hide The Wick was the morning's fastest two-year-old qualifying winner on the pace in 1:58.1 after crossing to command from the outside post eight and leading the way through fractions of :29.2, :59.2 and 1:29.4 with a :28.2 final frame putting him three lengths in front of Cant See Me and CC The Yankee.
James MacDonald drove the Mcwicked colt out of multiple Ontario Sires Stakes winner Twin B Thong in his second qualifier for trainer Kyle Fellows. Bred by Winbak Farm, Hide The Wick was a $29,000 yearling purchase from last year's London Classic Sale by owners Domenic Chiaravalle, Eugenio Chiaravalle and Gary Volpe.
A replay of Woodbine's video stream from the qualifiers is available below.
To view Tuesday's complete qualifying results, click the following link: Tuesday Results (Qualifiers) - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada; Photo of Emoticon Hanover winning the 2017 Breeders Crown)