Former O'Brien Award winner Prohibition Legal won her second straight qualifying start of the season during an eventful Monday morning spring session on April 29 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Prohibition Legal and her fellow award-winning stablemate Silver Label, who finished heads apart in a 1:53.2 mile last Monday, both returned in the morning's third qualifier in preparation for their five-year-old campaigns. However, the latter mare's trip was spoiled when she encountered some geese on the backstretch.
The Nick Gallucci trainees left from the outside posts with millionairess Silver Label and driver James MacDonald taking control while Prohibition Legal, in rein to Louis-Philippe Roy, took a tuck in third behind pocket-getter Cheddars Delight through a :29 opening quarter.
Heading down the backstretch, Silver Label slowed up and went off stride as she spotted a pack of geese at the inside of the track, which caused interference to the rest of the field.
As the others rolled on with the half clocked in 1:00.1, Sweet Amira and Jody Jamieson rushed to command with Prohibition Legal getting underway next and then ducking behind that new leader past three-quarters in 1:28.1. Millar Farms' homebred Big Jim mare then popped off Sweet Amira's back down the lane and sprinted by late with a :26 kicker to win in 1:54.3 by 1-1/2 lengths. Those mares are eligible to the Roses Are Red Stakes in June.
"James said there were six geese on the track about 20 feet ahead of [Silver Label] and she did not want to go by them," Gallucci told Trot Insider after the qualifier, noting that Silver Label doesn't appear post-race to have hurt herself.
"We were real happy with Prohibition Legal's qualifer," he added. "I was hoping to go a faster mile, but she came a strong back half."
Misfortune also struck in Monday morning's opener when the season-debuting Metro Pace winner Captains Quarters, with Jamieson aboard, advanced alongside pacesetter D A Mcdreamy, trained and driven by Shawn Steacy, and the pair hooked wheels off the final turn. After following in the pocket behind fellow Steacy trainee D A Mcdreamy through panels of :28.4, :59.4 and 1:29.4, Unrivaled Hanover and Jonathan Drury rallied around the hooked pair and scored in 1:56.2 with a :26.2 closing panel that was matched by outside closer Tribal Dancer, who finished 1-3/4 lengths behind in second for Travis Cullen. Control The Piper rounded out the top three in this sophomore set.
Three-year-old pacing filly Stonebridge Halo was co-fastest of the morning with a clean trip in her own 1:54.3 mile, romping to a 10-length victory while making her second qualifying start of the season for trainer/co-owner Dan Lagace. Roy drove the Captain Crunch-Ken Doll J filly, who competed on the Grand Circuit as a rookie and took a 1:52.3 mark over Mohawk.
Making his first charted appearance, Tom Hill's homebred three-year-old trotting gelding Hungry Hill (Kadabra-Chardonnay Hill) debuted in a 1:59.3 mile with a :27.4 final frame for Jamieson and trainer Chantal Mitchell. Trained and driven by Paul Walker, four-year-old Radcliffe was the co-fastest trotter of the morning with his own 1:59.3 score.
Also during the morning's six-pack of qualifiers, trainer Susie Kerwood's homebred Harvest Trotting Series champion Goober Smack won his first sophomore appearance in 2:00.2 with Tyler Borth in the bike.
A replay of 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 Prohibition Legal in a previous win)