It isn't very often when you see Mohawk Racetrack go forward with a three-race, 21-horse qualifying session, but that was the scene this morning at the
Campbellville, Ont. oval.
Headlining the compact group was two-year-old Rocknroll Hanover filly Pretty Katherine, a co-World Record holder that hasn't raced in a pari-mutuel contest since capturing a division of the Champlain Stakes September 11 at Mohawk.
The career winner of five of six races and $300,578 in purses had been entered to contest the Breeders Crown eliminations October 1 at Pocono Downs, but was scratched after having missed the cut-off time for the retention barn.
Trainer Casie Coleman and driver Mark MacDonald sent the speedy filly out to contest the second dash this morning. The filly lined up in Post 1 for the dash and MacDonald opted to settle for third spot in the opening quarter, which was clicked off in :28.3.
MacDonald and Pretty Katherine took in the action from the three-hole for the large majority of the mile. They watched Tiz A Dream (driven by Doug McNair) carve the middle fractions in :58.2 and 1:27.4 and held their position past the seven-eighths of a mile marker.
It was in the late stages when Pretty Katherine got up and hit paydirt. The margin of victory was slim -- just a nose over Arsenal and a neck over Tiz A Dream -- but Pretty Katherine got the job done in 1:55.3.
To view the charted results for the Mohawk qualifying session, click here.