The session of qualifiers on Friday, April 26 at Woodbine Mohawk Park featured a number of notable performers, including O'Brien Award winners, O'Brien Award finalists and stakes winning standouts.
Friday's session featured 11 dashes, with horses facing a noticeable backstretch headwind.
An O'Brien Award finalist in 2023, Willowtime made his second appearance of the season after a miscue in his first outing to commence the proceedings. Bob McClure asked the trotter to set the tempo, and Willowtime obliged through fractions of :29.4, 1:00.3 and 1:30.3. Heading for home, Willowtime stayed to task, but pocket-sitter Myretirementdream had a full head of steam. When angled out by Jody Jamieson, Myretirementdream responded and trotted confidently past his Ontario Sires Stakes rival for a 1:58.3 victory. Griff (James MacDonald) closed well to edge out Willowtime for second.
Bred, owned and trained by Eli Wagler of Ingersoll, Ont., Myretirementdream (Il Sogno Dream - Myretirementticket) posted a 3-3-0 summary from eight freshman appearances with a mark of 1:55. He's eligible for the upcoming SBOA Colt Trot.
Like Myretirementdream, sophomore pacer Funtime Bayama last saw pari-mutuel action in the 2023 OSS Super Finals. Like Myretirementdream, Funtime Bayama sat the two-hole in his Friday morning test. And like Myretirementdream, Funtime Bayama darted past the pacesetter in the stretch to hit the wire a winner. Enforcer (Doug Mcnair) bullied his way to the position of command and paced out panels of :29, :59 and 1:27.4. Enforcer then paced home in a swift :26.2, but Funtime Bayama uncorked a :26 final quarter to win in 1:54 for driver Sylvain Filion.
Owned by breeder Yves Filion's Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D'Argenteuil, Que., Funtime Bayama (Hes Watching - Tymal Sugarbabydoll) is conditioned by Richard Moreau. In 2023, Funtime Bayama posted a 4-2-1 summary from his seven starts with nearly a quarter million in earnings and a mark of 1:50.1.
Nijinsky (Louis-Philippe Roy) closed well to finish a length back in second, followed by Leave It To Leo, Enforcer, and 2023 O'Brien Award winner Legendary Hanover. James MacDonald didn't ask the son of Huntsville - Lillian Hanover until that final quarter, and Legendary Hanover paced home in :25.2 to finish two lengths off the leader.
The fastest sophomore pacer of the morning session was a filly, and her mile was arguably one of the most impressive. Charted more than 10 lengths off leader Bettor Sisters after a :57.1 half, 2023 O'Brien Award finalist Its A Love Thing (MacDonald) paced her first back half of the season in :54.1 — including a final quarter in :25.3 — to post a one-length decision in 1:53.1 over Pass And Stow (Roy).
Trained by David Menary, Its A Love Thing (Bettors Delight - Love For Sail) is owned by Eric Good, Davidsonville, Md., Thomas Biederman of Lexington, Ky., Josh Green of Midway, Ky. and Rich Lombardo Racing LLC of Solon, Oh. A winner of $560,656 as a two-year-old, Its A Love Thing posted a 6-2-1 summary from 12 starts while earning a 1:50.2 speed badge.
Switching to the older performers, Friday's session featured Fashion Frenzie in his 2024 debut, and the millionaire made it look easy with a gate-to-wire 1:55.4 score. Chulo (Ed Hensley) made Fashion Frenzie earn it, finishing a resolute half length in arrears.
Now six, Fashion Frenzie (Archangel - Striking Fashion) posted a 6-2-0 summary in his 12 starts last year while trotting to a life's best time of 1:50.4. Moreau manages for Quebec-based Ecurie Francis Richard Inc., Pierre Guillemette, Sylvain Richard of Becancour and Mario Bourgea of Stanbridge East. Lifetime, the two-time O'Brien Award winner boasts a 24-5-0 summary from 40 starts with more than $1.1 million in purses.
The full video stream is available below.
For results from the qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).
(Standardbred Canada; photo, clockwise from top left: Its A Love Thing, Fashion Frenzie, Myretirementdream, Funtime Bayama)