Mohawk Racetrack played host to a 15-race qualifying session on Wednesday. Among those getting some miles under their belts were a former O'Brien Award winner, a North America Cup eligible, and a Grand Circuit mare putting in her first charted line of the season.
The Gord Irwin-trained and Paul MacDonell-driven Bigtime Ball was the O'Brien Award winner. The nine-year-old gelded son of Presidential Ball kicked off the session in Race 1 from the outside Post 7.
MacDonell did not waste any time with the bay millionaire, as Bigtime Ball went straight to the top, sliced all the fractions (:28.3, :57.4, 1:25.1) and fired home with a :26.3 final quarter for a whopping 17-length win in 1:51.4.
NA Cup eligible Dress The Part stepped onto the track for Race 3, which was his first charted line of the 2013 season.
In rein to Randy Waples for trainer Bob McIntosh, Dress The Part, a colt by The Panderosa, left from Post 5 and tucked into third as Idole Duharas clicked off the opening quarter in :29.2. Waples pulled to the lead and Dress The Part went on to cut the middle fractions in :57.2 and 1:26.1.
Dress The Part (25-1 in Trot's NA Cup Spring Book) was ahead by three lengths at the head of the lane, but it was the Eric Cote-trained and Rick Zeron-driven Idole Duharas that got up to snare the win in the late stages. His margin of victory was a quarter length over Dress The Part and the win time was 1:54.4.
The Grand Circuit mare in question was Shelliscape, another charge featuring the trainer-driver combo of Bob McIntosh and Randy Waples.
After having started from Post 2 in Race 4, Waples tucked the four-year-old daughter of Artiscape into third prior to the :28.3 opening quarter. Waples sent the brown mare to the lead in the second panel. From there, the lass clicked off a :55.4 half and three quarters in 1:23.2. The duo cruised home with a :29.2 final quarter to seal the two-length victory in 1:52.4.
To view the results from the qualifying session, please utilize the following link: Wednesday Results: Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).