The winner of the 2024 Prix d'Ete, Redwood Hanover has returned for his five-year-old season with an impressive effort to headline the session of qualifiers on Friday, Jan. 17 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Driver Jonathan Drury dropped the son of Stay Hungry - Rockingcam Park into third as veteran Points North paced through early fractions of :30.1 and :58.4 for Des Tackoor.  With YYC On The Horizon (Ed Hensley) starting to close in an angle out from fourth, Drury tipped Redwood Hanover to the outside through the third quarter and breezed by the early pacesetter with ease. After tripping the third timer in 1:27.3, Redwood Hanover sprinted home in :28.1 — the fastest final quarter of the session by a full second — to pace his mile in 1:55.4 over a track listed as 'good' with a two-second variant. Delightful Leader (Tyler Borth) was next best across the wire, nearly eight lengths in arrears.

Anthony Beaton trains and co-owns Redwood Hanover along with Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont. McKinlay & Fielding of Gravenhurst, Ont. and David Mercer of Westmount, N.S. A seven-time winner, Redwood Hanover sports a mark of 1:49 with $429,412 in earnings.

The full replay from the Friday qualifying session is available below.

For results from the qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).

(Standardbred Canada)