Sylvain Filion pushed all the right buttons with Emoticon Hanover on Friday morning (June 26) during Mohawk Racetrack’s two-year-old qualifying session, as the six-figure Kadabra filly trotted to a tidy win for trainer Luc Blais.

Emoticon Hanover faced the gate for the third race on the 13-dash docket. Filion and the $165,000 yearling purchase lined up in Post 3 and were the best early. They led the field by more than two lengths as they coasted by the opening quarter-mile pole in :31.3.

Windsongmusclelady and driver Paul MacDonell wanted the lead at that point. The pair made a move to the lead from second. Emoticon Hanover and Filion were more than willing to watch from the two-hole at that point.

MacDonell and Windsongmusclelady were on cruise control through the middle fractions of the race. The duo trotted past the half-mile marker in 1:03.4 before clicking off the three-quarters of a mile pole in 1:33.4. Emoticon Hanover took the pocket trip in stride, as she followed Windsongmusclelady into the homestretch.

Emoticon Hanover had trot when Filion called on her in the lane. The bay dug in and pushed on by Windsongmusclelady when asked. Her final margin of victory was two and a half lengths. She stopped the clock in 2:03.1 and sealed the deal with a 29-second final quarter. Windsongmusclelady finished second and Withinyourrights (who was driven by Dustin Jones) was third.

Emoticon Hanover, who is owned by Determination, of Montreal, Que., was plucked out of the 2014 Harrisburg sale for $165,000. She is the first foal out of the Ken Warkentin mare Emmylou Who (3,1:54.4s [$660,354]), the successful Ontario-sired mare that just missed winning the 2010 Elegantimage Trot.

To view the harness racing results for Mohawk’s Friday morning qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Results – Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).