Dan Patch and O’Brien Award winner Marion Marauder made his 2018 charted debut during the Monday (April 30) qualifying session at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and the career winner of $2.6 million in purses appeared well in hand.
Marion Marauder, the 2016 Trotting Triple Crown winning son of Muscle Hill, was in rein to veteran horseman Roger Mayotte in the first of the session’s eight qualifying dashes.
After having lined up in the outside Post 6, Mayotte sent the five-year-old bay to the top, and the race was over from that point onward. Marion Marauder went on to cut all the fractions (:29.4, :58.4 and 1:28.2 over a ‘fast’ track) and close in :28.2.
After having been ahead by more than ten lengths at the three-quarters call, Marion Marauder tacked on more lengths in the lane, and eventually nailed the wire in 1:56.4, more than 14 lengths the best.
Mike Keeling trains Marion Marauder for Marion Jean Wellwood (of Stratford, Ont.) and Devin Keeling (Cambridge, Ont.).
With no shortage of star power on the track for the qualifying session, Race 2 featured the Gregg McNair-trained and Trevor Henry-driven The Joy Luck Club, who was looking to drop a little time from her 1:56.1 qualifier that she paced two 11 days ago.
And drop time she did.
The Joy Luck Club went to the front from Post 5 and made every pole a winning one (:29.1, :57.1, 1:24.4). After having been on top by more than eight lengths at the three-quarters call, the four-year-old Camluck mare paced through the stretch in :28.2 and stopped the clock in 1:53.1, more than 13 lengths ahead of her nearest rival.
The Joy Luck Club, who has 14 wins and $345,000 in purse earnings from 32 starts, is looking to have another solid season for R A W Equine Inc. (Burlington, Ont.), Mark Horner (St. Marys, Ont.) and Gregg McNair (Guelph, Ont.).
To view the harness racing results from the Monday qualifying session at Mohawk, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifying).