Keep It Real and San Pail, winners of some of the Woodbine Entertainment Group's biggest stakes events this year, returned to Mohawk Racetrack this
morning to partake in the nine-race qualifying docket.
With pilot Randy Waples in the racebike, the 2009 Maple Leaf Trot winner San Pail left from Post 6 in Race 7. The five-year-old son of San Pellegrino was putting in his first charted mile since having competed in an Open October 15 at Woodbine Racetrack.
Waples and the brown gelding nestled in for a two-hole ride and sat the position through the first three quarters of the mile, which saw the fractions (:29.3, 1:00.3, 1:30.1) cut by Missile T (driven by Anthony MacDonald).
The track was listed as 'fast,' and the track was listed one second slow.
When Waples asked San Pail, trained by Rod Hughes, for trot in the lane, the gelding responded in full, and fired home with a final quarter of :27.3 for a three and three-quarter length victory in 1:57.4.
Continuing to prep for his pari-mutuel return, Burlington Stakes winner Keep It Real followed up San Pail's effort with a solid qualifying performance of his own.
Paul MacDonell was at the lines of the three-year-old son of Real Artist, and the duo fired out from Post 2 in Race 8. The student of trainer Joey Shea was first at every call and did nothing but extend his lead throughout the contest.
The career winner of $306,900 was leading by one and a half lengths at the 29-second opening quarter, and slightly extended the lead to two lengths by the :57.4 opening half. Keep It Real buzzed the three-quarter station three lengths the best in 1:26.2 and hit the top of the lane four and a quarter-lengths the best.
Keep It Real went on to complete his final quarter in :28.1, as he paced to a seven and three-quarter-length win in 1:54.3.
Other horses that emerged victorious during the morning session are listed below.
- the Dan Creighton-trained and Paul MacDonell-driven three-year-old Muscles Yankee filly Gabbys Gambol won by more than six lengths in 1:58.3
- the Casie Coleman-trained and Mark MacDonald-driven two-year-old Four Starzzz Shark colt Lake Shark went wire-to-wire in 1:58
- the John Burns-trained and Randy Waples-driven three-year-old Tagliabue filly Kandor Hanover recorded a neck victory in 2:00.2
- the Mark Austin-trained and Randy Waples-driven two-year-old Western Ideal colt King Otra recorded a half-length victory in 1:59.4
- the Rod Hughes-trained and Sylvain Filion-driven four-year-old Kadabra gelding Abrakadabra came from off the pace to notch a three-quarter-length victory in 2:00.2
- the John Burns-trained and Jack Moiseyev-driven two-year-old Cambest filly Sky Sunny got up to post a half-length victory in 2:00.2
- the Pat Hudon-trained and driven five-year-old Real Desire gelding Joshua Park came from off the pace to record a one-length victory in 1:55.3
To view the charted harness racing results from the Thursday qualifying session at Mohawk, click here.