Mohawk Qualifiers Front And Centre

All eyes were on Mohawk Racetrack’s 14-dash qualifying session on Friday, May 1, as a variety of equine stars took turns tuning up over the seven-eighths-mile oval in Campbellville, Ont.

Race 1 saw three-year-old Muscle Mass colt Rubber Duck trot to an open-length, gate-to-wire mile in 1:58.4 for driver J.B. Renaud and trainer Julie Walker.

Four-year-old O’Brien Award-winning Shadow Play mare Lady Shadow had her game face on in Race 2 for driver Doug McNair and trainer Gregg McNair. After having started from Post 1, the bay paced to a seven and a half-length, wire-to-wire victory in 1:52.3. She defeated world record holder Hes Watching and 2013 O'Brien Award winner Vegas Vacation. The Dave Menary-trained Hes Watching, who was driven by Jody Jamieson, was fourth throughout the mile and closed in :26.4 to finish up second. The Casie Coleman-trained and Jonathan Drury-driven Vegas Vacation, who was returning after missing his four-year-old season, was fifth throughout the mile and closed in :26.4 to finish third.

Race 3 saw the Casie Coleman-trained and Chris Christoforou-driven Sportskeeper get up for a three-quarters of one length victory in 1:54.4. The three-year-old Sportswriter colt defeated the Jack Darling-trained and Paul MacDonell-driven Code One Hanover, who won her Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final last fall at Mohawk. After having started from Post 8 on Friday, Code One Hanover cut the fractions (:28.1, 1:57.3, 1:27) before finishing third (she was individually clocked in 1:55.1).

The Tony O’Sullivan-trained and Sylvain Filion-driven Youre Majestic was tops in Race 4, as the three-year-old Majestic Son filly trotted to the lead along the final turn and went on to post a three-quarters of one length victory in 1:58.3.

Reverend Hanover, who has been pegged as the 5-1 second choice in Trot Magazine’s 2015 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, made his seasonal charted debut in Race 5. The $24,000 Harrisburg yearling sale purchase started from Post 7 for driver Chris Christoforou and trainer Casie Coleman. The colt was third at the quarter (:29.3), but moved to the lead shortly thereafter. The bay colt cut the middle fractions in :59.1 and 1:27.2 before closing with a :27.1 final panel. The margin of victory was one and three-quarter lengths and the win time was 1:54.3. While a freshman in 2014, Reverend Hanover capped his undefeated, four-win season with a victory in the $250,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final. He is owned by Steve Calhoun of Chatham, Ont., West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Ont., and Anthony Beaton of Waterdown, Ont.

The Tony O’Sullivan-trained and Doug McNair-drivenMuscle Baby Doll flexed in Race 6, as the $5,000 yearling purchase closed from fifth in the lane to score a neck victory in 1:58.2. The three-year-old daughter of Muscle Mass was making her second qualifying effort of the season. The Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winning filly Danielle Hall made her seasonal charted debut in the race for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Carl Jamieson. She was charted as having raced second and third through the mile. She ultimately finished third, beaten by two lengths.

Chris Christoforou and Casie Coleman clicked again in Race 7 with three-year-old Sportswriter filly Southwind Mischief. After having started from Post 9, Christoforou and the bay worked out a pocket ride through the middle fractions. When asked, the filly responded with a quarter-length victory in 1:56.4.

Trainer Pat Hunt and driver Phil Hudon teamed up for a qualifying victory in Race 8 with three-year-old Jeremes Jet filly Warrawee Qually. The brown filly started from Post 6 and led at every pole. The win time was 1:56.3 and the margin of victory was 1:56.3.

Three-year-old Sportswriter gelding Moonwards Hanover was tops in Race 9 for trainer Jack Darling and driver Mike Saftic. After a Post 8 start, the bay went on to slice all the fractions and hit the wire first in 1:54.3, two lengths ahead of a top NA Cup prospect. That prospect, the Ken Sucee-trained and Jody Jamieson-driven Pierce Hanover, was making his second qualifying performance of the season. The bay colt took a pocket trip throughout the mile and finished second by two lengths.

Two-time O’Brien Award winner Riveting Rosie was making her second qualifying effort of the season in Race 10. The four-year-old daughter of Muscle Mass, who is trained by John Bax and driven by Paul MacDonell, put in a gate-to-wire effort from Post 5. The margin of victory was five and a quarter lengths and the win time was 1:57.1. Prestidigitator, who hasn't participated in a pari-mutuel event since winning his OSS Super Final in 2012, finished second in the mile. He was fourth through the first half of the mile for driver Sylvain Filion and trainer Luc Blais and finished up second, covering his mile in 1:58.1.

Speedy four-year-old mare Beach Gal made her seasonal charted debut in Race 11 for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Dave Menary. The four-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere hit the wire more than three lengths the best in 1:53.2.

Race 12 saw the eight-year-old Western Terror gelding Western Captive tighten up with a one-length, gate-to-wire win in 1:55.2 for driver Mike Saftic and trainer James Stevenson.

A Little More Love was a whole bunch the best in Race 13 for driver Randy Waples and trainer Bob McIntosh, as the three-year-old Kadabra colt was a wire-to-wire winner in what was his seasonal charted debut. After having started from Post 4, the bay played ‘follow the leader’ through the opening splits before pulling away in the second half of the mile for a five and three-quarter-length win in 1:58.2. Dont Rush, who was a freshman OSS Super Final winner last fall, made his seasonal charted debut in the dash and finished more than seven lengths back in third (individually timed in 1:59.4).

The final dash of the session (Race 14) was won by the Phil Hudon-driven and Gord Remmen-trained Pureform Olympia. The six-year-old Valet Victory mare was a six-length, gate-to-wire winner in 1:57.3.

To view the charted results from the Friday qualifying session at Mohawk, click the following link: Friday Results – Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).