North America Cup eligible Lite Up The World headlined the Monday, April 21 qualifying session at Woodbine Mohawk Park on a cloudy spring morning.
Making the second qualifying start of his sophomore season after going two-for-four as a rookie, Lite Up The World cut fractions of :29 and :59.1 before picking up the pace to three-quarters in 1:27.1 and sprinting his final quarter in :26.1 to keep 1-1/2 lengths clear of pocket pursuer Brigade in a 1:53.2 mile. It was another strong-looking finish for Lite Up The World, who paced home in 26 seconds in his April 14 qualifier. Quebec stakes champion The Magic Moment followed back in third in his season's debut while a pair of maidens, Pac Man Hanover and Wicked Express, completed the third race field. The top four finishers have been kept eligible to the mid-June North America Cup as of the second sustaining payment.
James MacDonald drove the winning American Ideal colt out of Turnoffthelights for trainer Anthony Beaton and owners Mac and Carol Nichol of Burlington, Ont. Grand Circuit stakes-placed at two, Lite Up The World won back-to-back races in 1:51.3 last July at Mohawk, including a leg of the Dream Maker Pacing Series, and earned just over $30,000. He's a full brother to millionaire mare Bedroomconfessions.
Lite Up The World was ranked just outside the top 15 at odds of 42-1 in TROT Magazine's 2025 North America Cup Spring Book. To view the complete Spring Book, click here.
His winning time was co-fastest of the morning qualifying session with the Chantal Mitchell-trained older pacer Uncle Shank A later romping to a 1:53.2 nine-length victory in the seventh race finale with Trevor Henry in the sulky.
A replay of the live Woodbine 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 Lite Up The World winning last July at Mohawk)