Woodbine Mohawk Park featured Canadian harness racing's first two-year-old baby races of 2024 during its session of qualifiers on Saturday, June 1.
Exquisite Taste showed off her exquisite gait in the first qualifier, closing in :28.4 for driver and co-owner Louis-Philippe Roy to pick off Macthenight (Tyler Jones) and win by a length in 2:02.2. Tempo-setter Southwind Grenade (Gino Toscani) stayed for third.
A $34,000 London Classic Yearling Sale purchase, Exquisite Taste (Resolve - Ghost Glider) is trained by Eric Nadeau for Roy (as Louis-Philippe Roy Racing) and Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy, Que. Glengate Farms and Ariel Stables are the breeders.
Southwind Francoo made the front early (:33.2) in his qualifying debut for driver Sylvain Filion, sat patiently behind a rated Foresworn (James MacDonald) through cautious middle fractions (1:05 and 1:35.2) and then powered home in :28.2 to win his qualifying debut in 2:04.2. Bright Green (Roy) closed very well to finish a head back in second with Foresword not far back in third.
Bred by Southwind Farms, Southwind Francoo (Muscle Hill - Follow Streak) was a $12,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase of owner-trainer Gaetan Hebert of Dundas, Ont.
On the pace, Seas The Day made every call a winning one for driver Bob McClure. After clearing to the top through a :31.1 first panel, Seas The Day laid out fractions of 1:02.3 and 1:33.4 before closing in :28.3 to hold off Stylish Stella (Tyler Borth) by a length in 2:02.2. Baroness (J. MacDonald) rounded out the top trio.
Seas The Day (pictured above) is a homebred son of Your Nemesis - No Time For Talkin, owned by trainer Stephen Gillard of Innerkip, Ont. along with his wife, Marilyn.
Video from the Saturday qualifying session is available below.
For results from the qualifying session, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).
(Standardbred Canada)