A six-pack of qualifiers were contested Monday evening prior the evening’s live card of racing at Woodbine Racetrack, and some high profiles mares found themselves in the spotlight.
Big Mcdeal, who put together a 5-for-19 record last season while banking more than $425,000 in the process, won her qualifier – her second of the year – in 1:54.1 for the tandem of driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Ben Wallace. Jamieson put the four-year-old daughter of Mcardle-Ideal Gal on the lead right from the outset and after slicing through fractions of :28.1, :59.1 and 1:28.1 she rocketed home in a :26-second clip to win by 11-1/4 lengths in 1:54.1.
Brad Grant of Milton, ON, who watched the mare win her first qualifier of the season on April 10 at Flamboro Downs in 1:57.1, purchased the career winner of $731,047 last spring.
China Pearls, who was voted Canada’s Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year in 2011, was triumphant two qualifiers later in what was her first start since suffering an injury and being forced to the sidelines last summer.
The five-year-old daughter of Kadabra-Pure Sable and driver Randy Waples led the field to the quarter pole in a :30-second clip before taking a backseat to Motown Muscle through middle splits of 1:00.2 and 1:30.2. Waples found clearance in the lane with the Carmen Hie trainee and she fired home :27.3 en route to a two-length triumph in 1:58.2.
The career winner of $625,105 is owned by Carman Hie Stable Inc, Blake Anthony, Peter Kloepfer and Ted Murrell. Hie told Trot Insider he’s very happy with the way the mare has come back from the injury, and the plan is to qualify once more.
The other qualifying winners were Mystician (1:57.2), Sweet Talkin Satin (1:56.3), Knows Nothing (1:56.1) and Umbrage Hanover (1:57.2).
To view results for Monday's qualifiers, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.