Woodbine Mohawk Park carded 12 qualifiers for Cinco De Mayo (Friday, May 5) with a number of notable performers in action during the session.
Veteran pacer Highlandbeachlover returned from a month's vacation to clock the fastest time of the morning. Jonathan Drury was at the controls, and guided the seven-year-old to a 1:53.1 effort on top at every call. Highlandbeachlover was 2-1/2 lengths better than Arukiddingme Cabbie (Brett MacDonald).
Trained by Carmen Auciello, Highlandbeachlover (Somebeachsomewhere - Rockn Highland) is owned by Ontario's Stephen Klunowski, Robert Burgess and Daniel Sarafian along with Lawrence Fox of New York, N.Y. The 24-time winner sports a mark of 1:49.2 with earnings of $441,964.
A winner at the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold level at two, Pepsi North America Cup eligible Whatchulookin At sped to a solid qualifying win in his sophomore debut. Driver Doug McNair employed ground-saving tactics with Whatchulookin At, sitting fourth as Tignanello (James MacDonald) paced through panels of :27.2, :57 and 1:26. McNair angled Whatchulookin At into the two path turning for home and found a seam between the pacesetter and Sauble Ace (Bob McClure) for clear sailing to the wire. Whatchulookin At closed in :26.3 to trip the timer in 1:53.2, three parts of a length better than Midnight Nation (Sylvain Filion).
Whatchulookin At (Hes Watching - Oriane Blue Chip) is trained by Gregg McNair and he co-owns the colt with Jim Newton of Saskatoon, Sask. Bloomingwood Farms Ltd. of Harriston, Ont. and Paul Kidd of Guelph, Ont. The colt took a mark of 1:52.2 at two and banked nearly $100,000 while amassing a 3-1-1 summary from seven starts.
He Will looked like he would clock the fastest trotting mile of the session, until Spitfire Oversees found another gear to haul down the tempo-setter just strides before the wire.
He Will (Austin Sorrie) managed fractions of :27.3, :57.3 and 1:27 before turning for home and faced no challengers in doing so. James MacDonald had Spitfire Oversees midpack in fifth, and started a first-over approach around the far turn. Closing in :27.1, Spitfire Oversees gained on He Will with every stride and finally got up for the half-length score over He Will in 1:55.3. Last year's Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for two-year-old trotting colts, DWs Point Man was an unstressed third in his sophomore debut.
Spitfire Oversees (International Moni Legal Lady) trotted back to his lifetime mark in the qualifying effort for trainer Dominic Gladu and owner Thestable Spitfireovrsees of Guelph, Ont. The trotter posted a 2-3-0 summary from 10 starts in 2022 with earnings of $76,906.
The full video stream of the qualifying session is available below.
For results from the qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).