While putting in his second qualifying performance in as many weeks at Mohawk Racetrack Monday morning, two-time O'Brien Award winner San Pail began to start revving up his motor
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Over 'fast' track conditions at the pristine Campbellville, Ont. course, San Pail and driver Randy Waples paraded on to the track for the second dash of the session.
Waples and the pupil of trainer Rod Hughes lined up in Post 3 for the seven-horse tilt, and that was the closest San Pail's foes would come to reaching him.
The seven-year-old son gelded son of San Pellegrino went straight to the lead easily and cut the opening fraction in :29.1. The career winner of 37 races, $1,793,965 in purses and back-to-back Maple Leaf Trots went on to slice the middle fractions in :29.1 and 1:27.1 before throwing it into a bit of another gear.
San Pail opened up lengths in the stretch and came home with a :27.3 final panel for a six and a half-length victory in 1:54.4.
Another top aged trotter that was making his return in Race 2 was the Blair Burgess-trained and Jody Jamieson-driven Il Villaggio. The four-year-old son of Yankee Glide started from Post 5 and was charted as fourth through the fractions. He closed with a 28-second final quarter; finished second, and was individually clocked in 1:56.
The session kicked off with a pair of three-year-old Pepsi North America Cup eligibles battling against a polished older foe -- and the class, experience and age difference prevailed.
Driven by Randy Waples for new trainer Rene Laarman, six-year-old Rustler Hanover horse Keystone Horatio started from Post 7 in Race 1, went straight to the top and didn't look back. The career winner of 24 races and $1,537,329 in purses cut the fractions in :27.4, :57.3 and 1:26 before kicking home with a :27.2 final quarter for a one and three-quarter-length win in 1:53.2 over Keystone Edge (driven by Roger Mayotte).
With Jody Jamieson driving for trainer Blair Burgess, the Cup-eligible On The Radar (50-1 in Trot Magazine's 2011 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book) was making his second qualifying effort of the year in Race 1. The Western Hanover colt sat second throughout the mile and ended up finishing third, two and a half lengths in arrears of Keystone Horatio, and was individually timed in 1:53.4.
The Mark MacDonald-driven and Casie Coleman-trained Cup-eligible Rock To Glory (35-1 in Spring Book) also partook in Race 1. The Rocknroll Hanover gelding was making his seasonal charted debut in the dash. He finished fifth in the mile and was individually timed in 1:55.1.
The qualifying session was also the scene of the 2011 charted debut of the NA Cup-eligible Dreamfair Kovu (70-1 in Spring Book), who is out of the same mare as Canada's 2010 Horse of the Year, Dreamfair Eternal.
Having started from Post 2 in the nine-horse third race, Randy Waples steered the Pat Fletcher trainee to the top early. The duo carved the quarter in :28.2; had a four-length lead by the :58.3 half-mile call, and were up by 10 lengths at the 1:27.1 three-quarters station. In command the rest of the way home, Waples and Dreamfair Kovu cruised home in 28 seconds for a three and a quarter-length victory in 1:55.1.
Another Cup eligible, Insane In Spain (150-1 in Spring Book), took part in Race 5 and was individually timed in 1:58.2.
For results from Sunday's card of harness racing, please click the following link: Monday Results - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).