A number of high-powered performers were in action during the Friday morning session of qualifiers at Woodbine Mohawk Park, including an O'Brien Award winner making their first on-track appearance in more than eight months.
Only Take Cash was all business in the first qualifying session of the morning. The three-year-old trotting filly made every call a winning one for driver Sylvain Filion, powering through fractions of :29.1, :58.2 and 1:27.3 before a :27.4 final quarter to trip the timer in 1:55.2 nearly nine lengths better than her closest rival Mercedes Talma (Per Henriksen).
A homebred owned by trainer Bob McIntosh and co-owned with Dave A Boyle and Mardon Stables, Only Take Cash sports an impressive 9-1-1 summary from 11 career starts with $306,500 in earnings.
Pacing mare Black Jack Pat was a gate-to-wire winner in 1:54.4 in the next qualifier for driver Trevor Henry, trainer Nick Gallucci and owner Dave Van Camp. Finishing second was a returning Shower Play, making her four-year-old debut. Sitting 11 lengths off the leader at the midway point, Shower Play showed serious acceleration through a :55 back half and finished just two-and-a-half lengths off the winner. Louis-Philippe Roy handled the driving duties behind Shower Play, Canada's Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year, for owner-trainer Rene Dion and co-owners Susie Kerwood and Martin Leveillee.
"She was feeling great, and it was great to sit behind her again!" Roy told Trot Insider after the mile. "Rene wanted her to go a mile between 1:55-56. I feel like, between her and I, I was the only one that worked at trying to keep her from not going faster. She should be back in a qualifier next week for a bigger effort if everything goes according to planned."
After back-to-back breaks, older trotter Hemi Seelster maintained his manners for driver Trevor Henry and posted a gate-to-wire qualifying win in 1:55.3 for trainer-owner Jeff Gillis. The speedy son of Holiday Road - Hollywood Beauty boasts 27 lifetime wins and more than $725,000 in purses.
Another veteran looking to return to the racetrack is Witch Dali, who qualified impressively for the second straight week. Driver Louis-Philippe Roy kept the eight-year-old mare off the front end early and -- like last week -- unleashed her in the lane to power past her pacing rivals. This week, a :26.3 final quarter capped a winning mile timed in 1:53.2 for trainer Richard Moreau. Brad Grant holds the papers on Witch Dali (Dali - Whitesand Gem), a winner of 31 races and more than $633,668 in her career.
To view the results from the Friday qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).