One race at a time. That's the approach for trainer Dan Lagace with sophomore pacing star Sweet Lovin Lou heading into a potentially lucrative month of September.

Last in action on Aug. 22 at Pocono Downs in the 2026 Max C. Hempt Memorial Pace, Sweet Lovin Lou tightened for an appearance in the upcoming Simcoe Stakes with a sharp qualifying effort on Friday, Sept. 4 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Just one rival faced the starting gate with Sweet Lovin Lou on Friday morning: eight-year-old Sunset Rider, who had made breaks in three of his last four pari-mutuel appearances as well as his most recent qualifying attempt. So it would stand to reason that the on-paper match race didn't end up being much of a challenge for Sweet Lovin Lou, as much as it was a tightener for him and a flat line quest for his counterpart.

James MacDonald got the call on Sweet Lovin Lou, who paced through moderate fractions of :28.3, :57.2 and 1:26.2 before firing home in :26 for the 1:52.2 effort. Sunset Rider and owner-driver Daryl Thiessen finished 17 lengths back, flat line achieved.

According to Lagace, Sweet Lovin Lou will head to the Simcoe next Saturday, Sept. 12 at Mohawk. After that, no plans are etched in stone for the son of Sweet Lou-Lovers Dream. However, it should be noted that Sweet Lovin Lou is ranked fifth on Jay Wolf's most recent Road to the 2026 Little Brown Jug, slated for Thursday, Sept. 24.

Sweet Lovin Lou sports a mark of 1:47.3, taken in the Cane Pace at The Meadowlands, and a summary of 5-4-5 in 19 starts with earnings of $676,878 for owners Lagace Stables of Cambridge, Ont., Edwin Buhler of Wantagh, N.Y., Big Als Stables of Woodbridge, Ont. and Brittany Farms Micki Rae of Versailles, Ky.

The full video stream from Friday is available below. 

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

(Standardbred Canada)