The session of qualifiers slated for Friday, May 9 at Woodbine Mohawk featured the third scheduled qualifier of the season for 2024 Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year Chantilly. Her absence opened the door for a number of talented O'Brien Award winners and finalists to take centre stage instead.

Chantilly was dropped into qualify after her first scheduled start in this weekend's 2025 SBOA Filly Pace elims weren't needed and all 11 entrants advanced to next weekend's final.

However, Chantilly wasn't on the gate in the third dash this morning. Trainer Nick Gallucci told Trot Insider that the daughter of Big Jim - Shiraz Seelster showed a touch of mucous in a tracheal scope and as a result the connections leaned to the side of caution here.

That qualifier was ultimately captured by Cant See Me, who showed off in her season's debut with a 1:55.2 score. The sophomore daughter of Captaintreacherous - Unseen made every call a winning one on Friday morning, closing in :26.2 for driver Louis-Philippe Roy, trainer Shawn Steacy and owner Hudson Standrdbrd Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que. Cant See Me was a four-time winner in 2024, taking her 1:51.3 mark in an elimination of the Shes A Great Lady, banking more than $194,000.

Fellow sophomore pacer Bourbon County got a pocket trip from driver Trevor Henry behind pacesetter D A Love Boat, then closed in :26.2 for an impressive 1:52.3 performance to kick off the morning action. Paul Reid handles the Canadian conditioning on Pepsi North America Cup-eligible Bourbon County for owners William Salmeri, Steve Elliott, Rick Berks and Jerry Glantz. The son of Always B Miki - Captain Bombay didn't leave Kentucky in 2024 and compiled a 6-0-3 summary in 13 starts while banking $154,823.

Notable stakes-wining stablemates from the Luc Blais barn showed strong strides in the respective seasonal bows.

Emoji Hanover gets a 👍 after her four-year-old debut, an unstressed 1:56.4 effort in victory. Roy kept the daughter of Greenshoe - Emmylou Who under wraps for the first three quarters, showed her racetrack in the stretch and she willing gobbled up ground with an in-hand :27 closer. Blais trains Emoji Hanover, a five-time winner  with a mark of 1:52.3 and more than $248,000 accrued, for owner Determination.

The nephew of Emoji Hanover, Emoticon Legacy gets a 👀 for his 1:57.2 effort on Friday morning. Roy mapped out virtually the same sort of trip for the son of Walner - Emoticon Hanover, pulled at roughly the same time in the stretch and the sophomore obliged from there with a :28.1 final panel to prevail. Determination also owns Hambletonian-eligible Emoticon Legacy, a four-time winner from seven starts as a freshman with a mark of 1:52.3 and earnings exceeding $220,000.

Late season sensation Ervin Hanover returned impressively one week ago, and looked even better this week. The five-year-old son of Captaintreacherous - Eloquent Grace and driver Roy fronted a pair of returning O'Brien Award winners — Its A Love Thing and Sylvia Hanover — through panels of :28.2, :57.1 and 1:25 before sprinting home in :26 for the 1:51 mile. Dave Menary trains Ervin Hanover, a 16-time winner with more than $514,000 banked and a sizzling mark of 1:47.3 taken last November, for Pollack Racing LLC.

The stablemate to Ervin Hanover, Its A Love Thing tracked throughout for driver James MacDonald and also closed in :26 to finish two lengths back in second. Sylvia Hanover closed in :26.4 for driver Bob McClure to round out the top three.

Highland Kismet added trotting hopples back to his wardrobe on Friday morning, and the 2024 O'Brien Award winner looked as sharp as ever with the added gear. Trainer-driver Mark Etsell sat the son of Father Patrick - Highland Top Hill off the front on Friday morning, then gave the flashy four-year-old his cue around the midway mark of the morning mile. That cue was recognized, and seemingly appreciated as Highland Kismet circled his rivals with gusto, effortless landing on the lead after the 1:26.4 third station and then closing in :27 to win by more than eight lengths in 1:53.4.

A eight-time winner with more than $727,000 in purses earned, Highland Kismet is a homebred owned by Highland Thoroughbred Farm of Inglewood, Ont. His first stakes test of the season comes up later this month at Mohawk in the Graduate Series.

The full qualifying session is available below.
 

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

(Standardbred Canada)