Saturday morning's qualifiers at Mohawk Racetrack and The Meadowlands featured the future of harness racing with a total of 33 baby races
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At Mohawk, some of the two-year-olds selling in the Spring Fling Mixed Sale were on display on the racetrack the day before they're on display in the auction ring.
Northern Gem was a solid third in rein to Mike Saftic during the first qualifier, trotting her mile in 2:04.2 for trainer Frank O'Reilly. Northern Gem sells as Hip 53 in Sunday's sale.
Allcanadian Rebel (Hip 5) took to the track in the morning's third qualifier, finishing a bang-up third in the morning's fastest split. The Artesian colt individually paced his mile in 2:00.1, three lengths behind 1:59.3 winner Good Bad Lucky (Steve Condren).
Pacing filly Redroom Eyes (Hip 76) paced her mile in 2:03.4 in the sixth qualifier of the morning for trainer Bruce MacDonald and driver Chris Christoforou.
Full charted lines from the morning qualifying session are available here.
In New Jersey, The Meadowlands hosted no less than 19 two-year-old qualifying dashes.
The fastest mile of the morning belonged to Nova Artist, a Real Artist colt from the good Alberta-bred mare Avon Lady. The $35,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase of Smyrna, Delaware's Kathleen Davis was a 1:56.2 winner for driver Allan Davis and trainer Martin Davis.
On the trot, top honours early on went to Margarita Man and trainer-driver Ray Schnittker who tripped the timer in 2:00. Also a $35,000 Harrisburg yearling sale purchase, the Malabar Man - Margarita Miss gelding is a half-brother to award-winning trotting filly Rum Boogie.
Full results from The Meadowlands' slate of qualifiers will be available here.