Prior to this morning's qualifying session at Mohawk Racetrack, the Bob McIntosh-trained Bramalea Hanover hadn't raced since sweeping the Celias Counsel Trotting Series in April
. With pilot Steve Condren at the controls this morning, the $180,000 yearling buy didn't disappoint in her return.
After leaving from Post 6 in the first race of the qualifying session, the three-year-old daughter of Windsongs Legacy got away fifth and was on the outside by the time the :28.4 opening quarter flashed to life.
The bay made her way to the lead in the second quarter of the dash. After tripping the opening half-mile timer in :59.4, Bramalea Hanover went on to pass the three quarters in 1:29.2 and trot home in :28.1. The margin of victory was three quarters of one length in a time of 1:57.3.
Bramalea Hanover went unraced last season as a juvenile, but has won seven of her eight starts this year, good for $68,000 in purses for Susan Grange of Cheltenham, Ont.
Three-year-old Allamerican Native filly Siri Hanover was tops in Race 3 for trainer Mark Austin and driver Randy Waples, as the bay came on with a force in the second panel of the dash and paced off to 1:55 win off a :27.4 final quarter.
Fast forward to the card's sixth race and Quebec-bred trotter Slave Dream was getting the job done for trainer Frank O'Reilly and driver Sylvain Filion.
Filion and the five-year-old Pearsall Hanover gelding got away third before taking control in the second panel before the :58.2 opening half. Leading the rest of the way, the career winner of 18 races and $363,631 in purses tripped the three quarters in 1:26.3 and came home with a 28-second final quarter. The winning time was 1:54.3 and the victorious margin was five lengths. Matron Stakes divisional winner Yursa Hanover was making her second qualifying effort this season in the dash and finished second.
Eight-year-old Jennas Beach Boy horse Bolero Charles took the fastest qualifier of the day in Race 7. The Stephen Charlton-trained and Randy Waples-driven bay last raced pari-mutuelly on April 10 at Woodbine Racetrack. The career winner of $472,950 was a wire-to-wire winner this morning by two lengths in 1:52.
To view the charted results from the Mohawk qualifying session, click here.