Having two qualifiers under his feet and a two-year layoff behind him, Warrawee Roo hit the finish first during the Thursday morning (March 25) qualifying session at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Warrawee Roo’s last pari-mutuel start was on Nov. 24, 2018 at The Meadowlands in the TVG Open Trot Final, where he made a break to three-quarters and finished ninth. The eight-year-old Majestic Son stallion made his first steps onto the track last year in June for a qualifier, but he made a break and finished a 2:01.4 mile. Again the Luc Blais trainee hit the bench, with his first qualifier back in 2021 coming last week—a second-place finish in 2:01.3.
On Thursday, driver Bob McClure settled Warrawee Roo into fourth to a :29.3 opening quarter and stayed put to the half in 1:01. Moving to the final turn, McClure motored Warrawee Roo off the pylons and swept to the lead by three-quarters in 1:30.4. He continued to speed through the stretch to trot a :28.4 final quarter and wrap a 1:59.3 mile six-and-a-quarter lengths better than pacesetter Power Move. Warrawee Roo, a winner of $781,640 and Ontario Sires Stakes champion at three, competes for Determination.
The Thursday qualifying session opened with the fastest pacing mile of the day with Leaderofthedance wiring his rivals in a 1:54 mile. The Anthony Montini-trained five-year-old stallion by A Rocknroll Dance launched to the lead from post 8 and posted a clip of :28, :57.2 and 1:25.4 to win by a length over fast-closing Talbot Romeo, who paced a final quarter of :27.3. Doug McNair had the drive on Leaderofthedance.
Perfect Record went the fastest trotting mile on the morning, also with a wire-to-wire effort. The three-year-old Trixton gelding grabbed command to a :29.2 opening quarter for driver Anthony MacDonald and began to draw clear from his competition past a :59 half and 1:27.3 three-quarters. Off the turn, Perfect Record opened a wide lead totaling six-and-a-quarter lengths at the beam over R Precious Pearl and Radical J J. John McKinnon trains Perfect Record.
The Thursday qualifying session is available in its entirety below:
To view Thursday's qualifying results, click on the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifier).