On a morning in which Pepsi North America Cup eligibles were doing some fine tuning at Mohawk Racetrack, 2011 'Cup' winner Up The Credit returned to the scene of his biggest victory Thursday and recorded his first charted mile of the 2012 racing season

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The O'Brien Award winner, trained by Mark Horner and driven by Jody Jamieson, was also putting in the first charted mile of his aged career. The millionaire son of Western Terror would have to wait until Race 8, the last dash on the docket, to get reacquainted with the crushed limestone and traprock surface of the Mohawk course --- and when he did, some of his elders were waiting for him.

Facing off against a reduced field of five, the battle-tested Up The Credit, who took his mark of 1:49 at 'The Hawk' last season, sprinted out to the opening stanza in :27.4. He led the field through middle fractions of :58 and 1:26.2, but had an elder, Dalhousie Dave (driven by Scott Zeron for trainer Tony O'Sullivan), hot on his heels as he straightened away for home.

Fresh and ready off a pocket trip, Dalhousie Dave unleashed a :26.3 closing quarter-mile to sprint off to a three and a quarter-length win over Up The Credit, who fired home in :27.2.

It was announced this past December that Up The Credit would breed and race this season.

Race 4 saw a pair of North America Cup eligibles put in some work. After having left from Post 5 with driver Scott Zeron, the Tony O'Sullivan-trained Sing For Me George, the seventh overall pick in Trot Magazine's 2012 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book (20-1), cut all the fractions and posted a one and a quarter-length win in 1:53.1. The mile marked the second qualifying mile of the year for the Bettors Delight gelding. The Travis Umphrey-trained and Randy Waples-driven Twin B Wrangler (48-1) took a pocket ride through the fractions and finish third. The Mach Three gelding was individually timed in 1:53.4.

NA Cup eligibles were on display again in Race 6. D Terminata, the tenth choice in Trot's Spring Book (26-1), cleared to the lead on the final turn and cruised to a three-quarters-of-a-length win for driver Randy Waples and trainer Bob McIntosh in 1:54.1. With Sylvain Filion in the racebike for trainer Dustin Jones, Adkins Hanover (75-1) suffered some interference early in the mile, but stayed the course and finished third. He was individually timed in 1:54.2.

Having utilized a quarter-pole move, the Eric Cote-trained and Keith Oliver-driven Cleopatre Duharas went on to post a one-length victory in Race 5. The Rick Zeron-trained and driven Lady Rainbow, who was participating in her first qualifying session of the year, finished second after having been first up on the final turn. O'Brien Award winner China Pearls, who was making her first qualifying effort on a big track this year, came from off the tempo, finished third, and trotted in 1:57.1 for driver Randy Waples and trainer Carman Hie.

The session had kicked off with a field of eight pacers tussling over the Campbellville oval. After having sat the pocket, the Bob McIntosh-trained and Randy Waples-driven Rockin Finish fired home to a one and a quarter-length win in 1:53.4. The Jack Darling-trained and Jody Jamieson-driven Big McDeal came from mid-pack to finish second in the dash. The mile was Big McDeal's first charted performance since last fall's Breeders Crown.

To view the harness racing results for Mohawk's Thursday qualifying session, click the following link: Thursday Results - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).