Blake MacIntosh-trained Grand Circuit stakes champions topped three of the morning's eight qualifiers on Monday, April 14 at Woodbine Mohawk Park with an O'Brien Award winner in the mix.
The MacIntosh stable started out with three-year-old trotting fillies Medley Seelster and Monalishi just heads apart at the wire in their first qualifier of the season, timed in 1:57.1. Leaving from the outside posts, they lined up 1-2 with Medley Seelster and Jody Jamieson leading through fractions of :29.3, 1:00.2 and 1:30 then holding on by a neck after a sprint to the finish as Monalishi chased in :26.4 to rally alongside her stablemate for James MacDonald.
Medley Seelster (Wheeling N Dealin-Daylon Melody) was a four-time winner as a freshman, including a Champlain Stakes division and a pair of Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS), while earning $187,721 from a dozen starts for owners Tim Klemencic of Trenton, Ont., Clancy Farms of Severn, Ont., and Glenn Dyke of Townsend, Delaware.
Co-owned by Klemencic and MacIntosh, Monalishi (Green Manalishi S-Pretty Phylly G) went six-for-10 during her O'Brien Award-winning rookie season while amassing $562,811 in earnings. Her resume includes the Peaceful Way Stakes and a division of the Champlain as well as four OSS Gold Series events.
After ending his rookie season with a miscue in last September's Mohawk Million, Go Ahead Makemyday was back on track this morning for MacIntosh and trotted a :26.3 last quarter to close from third for the qualifying win in 1:58 flat with Louis-Philippe Roy in the bike. He drew 2-1/2 lengths clear in deep stretch over race leader First Class Rule (:29.3, 1:01.4, 1:31.1), a two-time Grassroots winner, with Super Final runner-up Getthegreen closing for third.
The grey Walner-Uvie Hanover colt, who won a Grand Circuit stakes division of the Tompkins-Geers in his career debut as a two-year-old, ended his rookie season with a three-for-eight record and earned more than $150,000 for MacIntosh and co-owners Van Camp Trotting Corp. of Port Perry, Ont., Mortgage Boys Stable off Fayetteville, New York and Ozzie MacKay of Moncton, N.B.
North America Cup eligible Sterling Choice, another MacIntosh-trained Grand Circuit stakes winner as a freshman, made a successful sophomore debut in 1:55.4. Driven by Roy, the roan Betterthancheddar-Platinum Choice colt closed from the pocket inside of pacesetter Reigning Captain (:29.1, 1:00, 1:29.2) to prevail by a head, with his final quarter timed in 26 seconds flat.
A winner of more than a quarter of a million dollars in stakes action last year highlighted by a Champlain victory, Sterling Choice is owned by MacIntosh and Maritime partners Ozzie MacKay, Tammy Lynn MacKay and Gilles Landry.
The Garry Merner-trained three-year-old pacing colt Ayeaye Captain Deo, who was just a half-length off Sterling Choice in their Champlain matchup last year and took the Dream Maker Series title, won his second straight qualifier with a :26.2 final kicker -- this one in a final time of 1:54.3. Bob McClure drove the Captaintreacherous-Oceania colt for owner Gino Toscani of Mount Hope, Ont.
McClure guided four winners during the eight-race qualifying session, including the John Pentland-trained three-year-old pacing filly Perfectly Chic (Betterthancheddar-Fit N Bad), who looped to the lead at the three-eighths mark and fought off fellow Grand Circuit stakes winner Wicked N Single in 1:59.1.
North America Cup eligible Pac Man Hanover, a maiden son of Captaintreacherous-Planet Rock, romped to a 6-1/2-length victory in 1:55.4 in his season's debut for McClure and trainer Shawn Steacy.
Former O'Brien Award winner Gaines Hanover won his second qualifier of the season for McClure and trainer Justin Turcotte after trotting a final quarter in :26.1 to defeat Osceola by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.3.
The fastest mile of the morning was a 1:53 victory by trainer Zachary Carroll's season-debuting five-year-old pacer Reign Supreme, who was driven by Doug McNair.
A replay of Woodbine's live video stream from the qualifiers is available below.
To view Monday's complete qualifying results, click the following link: Monday Results (Qualifiers) - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Medley Seelster winning last year at Mohawk)