Driver Trevor Henry broke his ankle when he was hit by a car in Montreal on April 3. Surgery followed and the reinsman was expected to be out of action for roughly six weeks. In an unexpected turn of events, Henry was in the sulky Monday morning (May 6) during Woodbine Mohawk Park’s qualifying session.
Although he wasn’t listed on any horses in the qualifying session, Henry was in the sulky behind 2018 Battle of Waterloo winner Bronx Seelster in Race 4, and if Henry was feeling any effects from his ankle, it surely didn’t show.
Henry and the Big Jim colt lined up in Post 4 and floated into third off the gate. Fellow North America Cup eligible Shadow Of A Daut (who was driven by Mike Saftic) was fastest down to the quarter in :29.1 and stayed on the engine through to the half, which was tripped in :58.1.
Henry had angled Bronx Seelster out for a first-over advance right in the vicinity of the half-mile pole, and the 2018 Battle of Waterloo winner made solid headway for Henry on the turn. The career winner of $383,910 in purses surpassed Shadow Of A Daut and settled down onto the point before clicking off the third station in 1:26.
Bronx Seelster thrived on the engine in the final quarter, as he came home with a :28 final panel for a 1:54 victory over a game Shadow Of A Daut.
Trevor Henry, pictured victorious with Bronx Seelster in 2018.
Wayne McGean trains Bronx Seelster for the Capers 3 Stable (of Sydney, NS). In addition of the Battle of Waterloo, the brown colt also won a division of the Champlain in 2018. Bronx Seelster hit the wire first in seven of his 12 freshman starts and put himself on the radar as a top N.A. Cup contender heading into his three-year-old stakes season. He recorded his first charted line of 2019 last Monday when he posted a 1:55 win during qualifying action at the Campbellville, Ont. oval.
Trot Insider spoke with Henry after the qualifying session. The reinsman explained that he has been doing everything he can to expedite the healing process.
“I was going to try (driving a bit) last Thursday,” Henry said. “I had trained three or four for Wayne McGean and everything had felt good.”
Although it was expected that Henry would be laid up for six weeks, he explained that he dropped the traditional cast some time ago.
“I had the cast cut off two weeks ago and had an air cast on after,” stated Henry. “I’m wearing a compression sock, which is a bit uncomfortable, but I have no problem sitting in the bike at all.”
People tend to take the state of their ankles for granted – that is until they suffer a severe sprain or broken bone, of course. In an effort to regain 100 per cent mobility, Henry told Trot Insider that he has pulled out all the stops.
“I’ve been able to utilize a hyperbaric chamber in Elmira 10 times so far and it has really helped the healing process,” said Henry. “It’s sped up the progress of the healing by about two weeks.”
Henry doesn’t want to set anything in stone, but he told Trot Insider that he hopes he can be back in action, to a certain degree, later this week.
“I think I’m going to try to drive a few Thursday,” Henry said. “I’m not looking for a whole big workload at the moment, but I want to keep progressing so I can return to the bike so I can prep for and drive in stakes season.”
The Determination stable’s qualifying duo of Dream Together and Forbidden Trade each recorded dominant gate-to-wire wins for trainer Luc Blais and driver Dan Dube during the morning session. Dream Together was tops in Race 6, as the five-year-old daughter of Muscle Hill carved out panels of :29.2, :58.1 and 1:26.2 from Post 4 before stopping the clock in 1:55.3. Forbidden Trade was solid from Post 5 in Race 8, as the three-year-old Kadabra colt cut the speed in :29.4, :59.1 and 1:27.4 before hitting the wire in 1:56.2. The trotters posted 13 and a half-length and 13-length margins of victory, respectively.
To view the harness racing results for the Monday qualifying session at Mohawk, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).