Trot Magazine’s Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book favourite, Hes Watching, recorded the first charted line of his 2014 campaign during the Friday (May 2) qualifying session at Mohawk Racetrack.
Hes Watching has been installed at odds of 5-1 in Trot’s Spring Book, and the three-year-old son of American Ideal got right down to business Friday morning.
Jim Morrill Jr. was up behind Hes Watching and lined the unbeaten bay into Post 4 for the sixth race of the qualifying session. The opening quarter of the dash featured a slow pace, and Morrill charged for the lead into the first turn. Lucky King (65-1 in Trot’s Spring Book) cut the opening quarter in :29.1 for driver James MacDonald and trainer Andrew McCabe, but Morrill was intent for the lead, and was out and gunning with Hes Watching. After being parked past the quarter pole, Hes Watching cleared to the engine and proceeded to lead the field through middle fractions of :57.2 and 1:26. Hes Watching had four lengths on the field by the time he hit the head of the lane, and went on to cap off his mile with a :27.2 final quarter. Hes Watching’s win time was 1:53.2 and his margin of victory was five and a quarter lengths. Ideal Jet finished second for driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Craig Barss, while Lucky King finished third.
"I was very happy with him this morning," Menary told the Woodbine Entertainment Group following the qualifier. "That's right about where we wanted to go. I'm going to give him a week off, qualify him once more then make a decision to race in either the (Art) Rooney or Somebeachsomewhere as his first race."
Menary had also discussed Hes Watching earlier this week. To read Menary’s comments, click here.
Flanagan Memory, last season’s three-year-old colt of the year in Canada, made his 2014 charted debut in Race 2, and the O’Brien Award winner did not disappoint. In rein to driver Chris Christoforou for trainer Rene Dion, the son of Kadabra started from Post 7 and sat third through opening fractions of :29.2 and :58.3. He was second at the 1:28 three-quarters marker, but had marched to the lead at the head of the stretch. Flanagan Memory opened up lengths in his :29.2 final quarter and went on to record a four-length win in 1:57.3.
A pair of Pepsi North America Cup eligibles helped highlight Race 3, but it was the Scott Young-driven and Bob Young-trained Hunch Man that hit the wire first in 1:54.1. The three-year-old Santanna Blue Chip gelding put forth a wire-to-wire performance, chopping out fractions of :30.2, :58.2 and 1:26.1 before utilizing a 28-second final quarter to record the two and a quarter-length win. ‘Cup’ eligible Major Trick (70-1 in Trot’s Spring Book) finished second for driver Jim Morrill Jr. and trainer David Menary, while Melmerby Beach (also 70-1 in Trot’s Spring Book) finished fourth.
Race 4 saw the Randy Waples-driven and Doug Brown-trained Scorr Again trot to the lead after the half and go on to record an open-length victory. The three-year-old Kadabra colt recorded a six-length margin of victory in the mile, which was clocked in 2:00.1.
Race 5 saw four-year-old Western Ideal gelding Lucan Hanover record his second charted line of the 2014 campaign, and the bay put in a winning effort for driver Jonathan Drury and trainer Casie Coleman. Lucan Hanover battled for the lead early, recorded all the fractions (:30.1, :58.4, 1:26.2) and paced home with a 27-second final quarter for a five-length win in 1:53.2.
Riveting Rosie, Canada’s Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year in 2013, made her second qualifying effort of the season in Race 7, and the mile was a victorious one for the three-year-old daughter of Muscle Mass. The bay put in a gate-to-wire victory and stopped the clock two lengths the best in 1:59.1.
Driver Jonathan Drury and trainer Casie Coleman hooked up in Race 8 with Major Dancer, and the three-year-old Art Major filly paced to a two-length win in 1:55.4. Shes Da Bomb also took part in Race 8 for driver Doug McNair and trainer Tony O’Sullivan, and the Art Major bay finished fourth.
Nat A Virgin concluded the qualifying session in Race 9 by pacing to a nine-length, wire-to-wire win in 1:54 for trainer/driver Dustin Jones.
Voelz Hanover had gotten things started in Race 1 with a two-length score in 1:54.1 for driver Randy Waples and trainer Corey Johnson. The millionaire Astreos mare closed from third with a :28.4 final quarter to seal the deal. Greystone Moe finished second and Social Scene was third.
To view the harness racing results for the Friday morning qualifying session at Mohawk, click the following link: Friday Results – Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).