It's been nearly a month since Chantilly has stepped foot onto a racetrack for a charted mile. She appeared ready to make up for lost time during the session of qualifiers on Friday, July 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Friday's qualifiers featured just six dashes, mostly catering to the two-year-olds. But Chantilly, the 2024 Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year, stole the show with an eye-popping effort.

Scratched sick out of her last two scheduled appearances — the Fan Hanover final on June 14 and an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event on June 21 — Chantilly prepped for a return to action with a sizzling 1:51 performance on Friday morning.

Driven as usual by James MacDonald, Chantilly faced only one rival on Friday morning: veteran pacer Highlandbeachlover, making his first appearance since the end of June. Bob McClure placed Highlandbeachlover on the point and fronted the duo through fractions of :28.3 and :57. Heading around the far turn, MacDonald looped to the lead with Chantilly and the sophomore filly found another gear from there. Off a three-quarter time of 1:25.1, Chantilly sprinted home in :25.4 to the trip the timer in 1:51. Highlandbeachlover finished 9-1/2 lengths in arrears.

"We were all extremely happy with Chantilly today," trainer Nick Gallucci told Trot Insider after the mile. "James said she was 'incredible.'"

Chantilly (Big Jim - Shiraz Seelster) is owned by breeder Millar Farms of Stouffville, Ont. The pacing filly hasn't lost in 12 career appearances, including a three-for-three sophomore record, with $915,256 in earnings. Her next scheduled start would be OSS Gold action on July 22 at Mohawk.

Among the freshmen in action on Friday, Quickaway (American Ideal - Logans Girl) clocked the fastest time of the morning on the pacing side — a 1:55.2 effort, on cruise control in the final quarter for driver MacDonald, trainer Blake MacIntosh and owners Ozzie MacKay of Moncton, N.B., Gilles Landry of Dieppe, N.B. Robert MacNeil of Brossard, Que.

After performing all the heavy lifting, Bitofthebubbly (Walner - Champagne Jane) had enough pop left in the final quarter of his Friday test for driver McClure to hold off Jenny Da Vie (Chris Christoforou) by a head to win the fastest trotting qualifier for two-year-olds during the session in 2:00.2. Shawn Steacy trains the winner for Hudson Standardabred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que., Dale Larson of Kent City, Mi. and Stephen Downey of Quispamsis, N.B.

The full qualifying session is available below.

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

(Standardbred Canada)