A combination of talent and speed showed up today to contest the qualifying session at the Meadowlands Racetrack. A handful of eligibles to the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup came to play and gave all an exciting glimpse of what is to come
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The twelfth race of the morning docket saw Rock N Roll Heaven, the 8-1 third choice in Trot Magazine's 2010 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, make his second qualifying effort of the season for trainer Bruce Saunders and driver Dan Dube. The Rocknroll Hanover colt was fourth through the opening three quarters, but flourished off a second-over trip, as he went on to post a one-length victory over Foreign Officer (58-1 in Spring Book) in 1:52.1 via a :25.3 final quarter. Blue Rock (35-1 in Spring Book) finished fifth in the qualifier, as he paced his mile in 1:53.2. Shoobees Place (50-1 in Spring Book) finished sixth and paced his mile in 1:53.4.
Race 13 saw a pair of NA Cup eligibles from the camp of George Teague, Jr. take to the track and put in their first charted miles of the campaign. Listed at 35-1 in Trot's Spring Book, Im Gorgeous paced to a second-place finish in 1:54 for driver Brian Sears and finished off his mile with a :25.4 final panel. The qualifier was won by Fred And Ginger and driver Tim Tetrick. In rein to David Miller, Teague's Dr Dreamy also closed well in the qualifier, as he came home in :26.2 and finished third, two lengths back of the winner in 1:54.2.
Earlier in the docket, Race 4 saw four-year-old Cantab Hall horse Mr Cantab make his second qualifier back this year a resounding one, as the George Brennan-driven and Erv Miller-trained bay took over control in the third quarter and went on to post a 17 and a quarter-length margin of victory in 1:55.2. Four-year-old Yankee Glide mare Seaside, the 2009 Kentucky Filly Futurity winner, also contested the dash. Driven by David Miller for trainer Jonas Czernyson, Seaside was on the lead for the opening half, but made a break in the third quarter and finished well back.
The Jimmy Takter-trained three-year-old Yankee Glide colt Senor Glide posted a three quarters of one length win in Race 5 for driver Dan Dube. The qualifying effort was the colt's first charted line of his 2010 campaign. Senor Glide set a track record at Mohawk Racetrack last fall when he won his $112,666 division of the Champlain Stakes in 1:55.2.
Race 6 saw eight-year-old SJs Photo gelding Corleone Kosmos post his second consecutive qualifying win of 2010 for trainer Jeffrey Webster and driver John Campbell. He cut all the fractions and posted a two-length win in 1:54.1 off a 27-second final quarter. Having taken a pocket trip the whole way, seven-year-old Jailhouse Jesse mare Buck I St Pat finished second for trainer Ron Burke and driver Tim Tetrick. She was almost making her second straight qualifying effort of the year. Nine-year-old Enjoy Lavec mare Lavec Dream, who recently surpassed the $1 million plateau in career earnings, made her seasonal charted debut in the qualifier. She finished fifth, beaten double-digit lengths, and trotted in 1:58.
Race 10 saw Canada’s Two-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year in 2009, Fancy Filly, make her 2010 charted debut for trainer George Teague, Jr. In rein to Brian Sears, the Western Hanover bay sat third and made her move after the three quarters marker. Passing a pair in the stretch, Fancy Filly went on to post a four and three-quarter-length win in 1:53 via a :26.2 final quarter.
Race 14 saw older pacers Won The West and Keep It Real qualify for the second consecutive week. Six-year-old Western Hanover gelding Won The West got the job done for driver David Miller and trainer Ron Burke, as the bay went wire to wire and posted a nine and a half-length victory in 1:52.1. Trained by Lou Pena and driven by Brian Sears, four-year-old Real Artist horse Keep It Real finished second and paced in 1:54.
Race15 saw seven-year-old Cams Card Shark horse Shark Gesture make his second consecutive qualifier back for trainer Larry Remmen and driver George Brennan. The brown competitor went wire to wire in 1:52.4 and win by one and three-quarter lengths via a 27-second final panel.
Race 16 saw five-year-old Bettors Delight gelding Bettor Sweet make his second qualifying start of the season for trainer Thomas Cancelliere and driver John Campbell. Bettor Sweet wired-up his foes, as he paced to a four-length win in 1:52.3 while flashing some :26.2 final-quarter speed.
To view all the charted results from the qualifying session, click here.