San Pail Upended In First Qualifier Back

While putting in his first charted raceline since romping in the $125,000 Glorys Comet Stakes this past January, two-time O'Brien Award winner tasted defeat during Mohawk Racetrack's Monday qualifying session

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With O'Brien Award winning driver Randy Waples at his lines, the Rod Hughes-trained San Pail started from Post 5 in the six-horse dash.

The seven-year-old son of San Pellegrino sat third through the fractions, which were cut in :29, :58.4 and 1:28.4 by VIP (driven by Mario Baillargeon). The career winner of 37 races and $1,793,965 in purses finished up his mile with a :28.4 final quarter, but ended up second, defeated by two and a quarter lengths.

The dash was won by the Frank O'Reilly-trained and Sylvain Filion-driven Slave Dream. The six-year-old gelding had taken a pocket trip through the opening half-mile before making his move prior to the three-quarters marker.

Slave Dream also came home with a :28.4 final quarter-mile. The career winner of 20 races and $730,696 in purses trotted his mile in 1:57.3. San Pail was timed in 1:58.

Another top trotter returned from an extended layoff later in the card, as Il Villaggio, Canada's Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year in 2009, took to the track for trainer Blair Burgess in Race 4. The qualifying mile was the first for the four-year-old son of Yankee Glide since November 14, 2010.

With Burgess in the racebike, Il Villaggio started from Post 6 and sat off the early tempo as Tall Cotton (Tom Durand) cut the opening fractions in :30.3 and 1:00.3. Putting forth a third-quarter bid for the lead, Burgess had the '09 William Wellwood Memorial Trot winner first by a half-length at the 1:30.3 three-quarters marker.

Burgess and Il Villaggio cruised home from there, as the duo trotted home in :29.1 for a two-length win in 1:59.4.

Another star which was making his return to charted races during the session was the six-year-old Rustler Hanover horse Keystone Horatio. Up to this point, the career winner of 24 races and $1,537,329 had been trained by John Kopas, but the horse qualified this morning for new trainer Rene Laarman.

With pilot Randy Waples calling the shots in Race 2, Keystone Horatio sat third through the :28.4 opening quarter and :57.4 opening half-mile. Out and racing first-up at the 1:27 three-quarters pole, Waples and Horatio kicked home with a :27.3 final quarter to post a half-length victory in 1:55.

To view the results from the Monday qualifying session, click the following link: Monday Results - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).