After having not raced since the 2015 final of the Ben Franklin Pace, O’Brien Award winner Vegas Vacation made his charted return during Mohawk Racetrack’s Friday (November 4) qualifying session.

The six-year-old Bettors Delight gelding helped kick off the nine-race docket, as he took to the track for Race 1 and lined up in Post 2 for driver Jonathan Drury.

Drury opted to stalk with Vegas Vacation, as the pair were positioned fifth through the fractions (:28.3, :57.1, 1:25.3). The millionaire was almost 11 lengths off the lead at the opening quarter and was still nine lengths in arrears at the head of the lane. Although, it was in the stretch where the cream rose to the top.

Drury unleashed Vegas Vacation in the lane, and the Casie Coleman trainee responded in full. He closed out his mile in :26.2, erased his nine-length disadvantage, and posted a neck win over the tempo setter, Thunder Seelster, who was driven by Jody Jamieson.

Owned by West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Ont. and Anthony Beaton of Waterdown, Ont., Vegas Vacation was limited to just six starts in 2015 in which he picked up five top-three finishes.

Another horse that is making his way back to the races qualified Friday morning. The Gregg McNair-trained and Doug McNair-driven Three Of Clubs put in his second qualifying effort after having not appeared in a pari-mutuel race since September 5, 2015. On Friday, Three Of Clubs laid off the early tempo, made his move on the final turn and paced off to a three and a quarter-length victory in 1:56.4. Three Of Clubs, the 2013 Battle of Waterloo winner, is owned by Gregg McNair (of Guelph, Ont.), Keith Waples (Durham, Ont.) and Tony Lawrence (Hanover, Ont.)

Eternal Camnation Stakes division winner Candlelight Dinner also returned to the track Friday after a brief layoff. The two-year-old American Ideal filly sped to a front-end, 1:55.2 win for trainer Casie Coleman and driver Jonathan Drury. The Whenuwishuponastar Series winner is owned by Mac Nichol (Burlington, Ont.), Let It Ride Stables Inc. (Boca Raton, Florida) and Howard Taylor (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

Other victorious horses during the qualifying session were Gravitator (1:58.4), Ideal Wheel (1:55.4), Platoon Seelster (1:58), Deadly Action (1:56.1), Continual Hanover (1:54.2) and Midnight Toker (2:01).

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