The second seasonal session of two-year-old qualifiers carded at Woodbine Mohawk Park is now in the books after 15 baby races went postward on Friday (June 14).
A stiff wind aided horses in the backstretch on Friday morning and then greeted them in the final quarter. Judges assessed a one-second variant to the track.
The fastest qualifier of the morning turned out being the first one, as Examiner Hanover and driver Bob McClure found room late through a :27.2 final panel to trip the timer in 1:56.2. Tint Of Mint (Sylvain Filion) and a hard-closing Ys Mathis (Louis-Philippe Roy) completed the top three.
A son of Hes Watching from the Rocknroll Hanover mare Ez Rock, Examiner Hanover was a $80,000 Harrisburg yearling. Casie Coleman trains for Brad Grant of Milton and Steve Heimbecker of Conestogo, Ont.
McClure and Coleman teamed up for a win in the second qualifier courtesy Sam McKee Hanover. That son of Sportswriter - Sammys Magic Girl loomed the danger in the pocket behind Derby Dog Hanover (James MacDonald) through the first three quarters of the mile and then came charging hard in the stretch to win in 1:58.3. Derby Dog Hanover was two lengths back in second with Bettorbuckleup (Randy Waples) third at every call.
Sam McKee Hanover is owned by West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Ont., John Fielding of Toronto, Ont., Robert Darrow of Dublin, Oh. and Michael Cote Gagnon of Terrebonne, Que. The pacing colt was a $60,000 Harrisburg yearling.
Trotting colt Urs Ifu Want It was on better behaviour this week for his connections in The Stable and strode away to a two-plus length win in 2:04.3. Driven by James MacDonald for trainer Anthony MacDonald, Urs Ifu Want It hit the wire ahead of Tuckers Out (Paul MacDonell) and temposetter Will Power Fashion (Jody Jamieson).
Purchased from the Ohio Select Yearling Sale for $10,000, Urs Ifu Want It (Uncle Peter - Lexis Electra) is owned by Thestable Urs Ifu Want It of Guelph, Ont.
Hot Wheelz became the first record performer for trotting stallion Wheeling N Dealin in the fourth qualifier, winning in 2:03.4. Ironically, Hot Wheelz defeated Your Still Up who is a homebred owned, trained and driven by the developer of Wheeling N Dealin -- Dustin Jones. Jailhouse Master (James MacDonald) cut the mile and finished third, two lengths back of the winner.
A $15,000 London Selected Yearling Sale purchase of driver Jody Jamieson of Moffat, Ont., Hot Wheelz (Wheeling N Dealin - Affair Hall) is trained by Jody's wife, Stephanie.
Groovy Joe did all the work en route to a 2:01.1 victory in the fifth baby race of the morning. The son of stakes winners Roll With Joe and Chotat Mile escorted James MacDonald around the Mohawk oval in a time of 2:01.1, coming home in :28.1 to emerge victorious over Rockin The Aces (Jonathan Drury) and Bettor Focus (Bob McClure).
A $17,000 Goshen yearling, Groovy Joe is trained by Blake MacIntosh for breeder-owner Winbak Farm.
Pacing filly Free Flyin Ticket turned heads with a :27.1 final panel to her rookie debut, pacing away from her rivals in the sixth qualifier to win in 1:58.3. Her win margin of four and a quarter lengths over Beach Boutique (Sylvain Filion) and Temagami Seelster (Trevor Henry) was the greatest of the Friday session.
Jonathan Drury engineered the win aboard Free Flyin Ticket (Betterthancheddar - Free Ticket) a $36,000 London Selected Yearling Sale purchase by trainer Anthony Beaton, who co-owns with David Mercer of Sydney, N.S., Gary Volpe of St Thomas, Ont. and George Quartarone of Claremont, Ont.
In the seventh qualifier, Drury found himself first under the wire again. As Major On The Beach (Chris Christoforou) cut the mile, Drury waited patiently with Noch Ten in the pocket, pulled out for a run at the pacesetter in the stretch and Noch Ten responded appropriately. Courtesy a :27.3 final quarter, Noch Ten finished first and fastest to earn a 1:57.3 speed badge with Major On The Beach and My Bettors Del (Bob McClure) next to cross under the wire.
Owned by trainer Carmen Auciello and James Downer of Langley, B.C., Noch Ten was the resulting foal from the purchase of broodmare Astrmowin, who was purchased by Downer late in 2016 in foal. Thus, Noch Ten is the first record performer for his sire, Warrawee Needy.
Making her second appearance, Just For Me Nu trotted strongly on the front end in the morning's eighth qualifier to earn a 2:03 record for driver James and trainer Anthony MacDonald. Debuting Jayport Echo (Dagfin Henriksen) and Alexa Blue Chip (Matt Bax) trotted well to complete the top three.
A $12,000 Lexington Selected purchase, Just For Me Nu (Donato Hanover - Just In Time) is owned by Thestable Just For Me Nu of Guelph and Felix Marion of Cambridge, Ont.
In the ninth qualifier, Globetrotting stayed trotting (unlike last week) and powered away from her rivals in the stretch after a pocket ride to score in 2:03.1 and give the Bros. MacDonald back-to-back wins. Alesund (Anthony MacDonald) and Haven Seelster (Keith Jones) were next best.
Thestable Globetrotting of Guelph, Ont. holds the papers on Globetrotting, a $21,000 Ohio Select Yearling Sale purchase. She's a daughter of Manofmanymissions out of Celebrity Deville, who captured the 2009 final of the Elegantimage at Mohawk.
All Day Sunshine stayed covered up for the majority of mile in her qualifying debut but showed a bright future after pacing home in :28.2 to trip the timer in 1:58.4 and finish first in the tenth baby race. Coco Beach De Vie (Jody Jamieson) was second best after making a few bobbles late in her mile, with Satdnite Jukebox (Jonathan Drury) closing well and claiming third.
Sylvain Filion guided All Day Sunshine (Sunshine Beach - Mustang Kensley) through her morning session for trainer Dan Lagace and owners Billy Joe and Anthony Timmins of Birmingham, Great Britain. The Timmins paid $6,000 for the yearling filly at Lexington.
Filion scored in consecutive baby races with the first repeat winner of Mohawk's rookie sessions. Off The Press was hot last week and stayed hot this week, winning the eleventh in 1:59.2 after a :28.3 final quarter. Pacesetter Laila Blue (Jody Jamieson) and Desiree Hanover (Jonathan Drury) finished second and third respectively.
Trained by Paul Reid, Off The Press is a homebred owned by Bob Key of Leechburg, Penn. Off The Press is the first Sportswriter from Dragon Flier K, who is the producer of six winners from eight foals.
Hushabye appeared to be a much better filly in the second session of Mohawk baby races. After making a break sans trotting hopples a week ago, she returned on Friday with the equipment addition and responded with a 2:01.3 winning performance in the twelfth for driver Chris Christoforou and trainer Blake MacIntosh -- the fastest trotting mile of the morning. Temposetting Talahasse Seelster (Eddie Green) was a length back in second, just ahead of Path Of Totality (Anthony MacDonald).
MacIntosh co-owns Hushabye (Chapter Seven - Banbury Cross), a $26,000 Harrisburg yearling, with Steve Heimbecker, Mortgage Boys Stable of Fayetteville, N.Y. and Hushabye Stables of St George, Ont.
No superstitions for Rose Run Valiant, who made his second career appearance in the thirteenth baby race on Friday and everything right in a gate-to-wire 2:02.2 winning effort for trainer-driver Anthony MacDonald over stablemate Johann (James MacDonald) and Built Strong (Sylvain Filion).
A $45,000 yearling purchase from the Ohio Select Yearling Sale, Rose Run Valiant is fractionally owned by
Thestable Valiant Group of Guelph, Ont.
Eight years (and ten days) ago, Hayworth Blue Chip made her debut in a baby race at The Meadowlands and won in 1:59.4. Her first foal is Sports Obsession, and he also won at first asking for his connections in the fourteenth Friday qualifier. A :28.1 final quarter helped seal the deal and outkick Heart On My Sleeve (Paul MacDonell) for the 1:58.3 speed badge. Pacesetter Majoring Artist (Louis-Philippe Roy) was just back of the front pair in third.
Jody Jamieson piloted Sports Obsession (sportswriter - Hayworth Blue Chip) for trainer Carl Jamieson, who co-owns the $70,000 Lexington yearling with George Harrison of Wanes Walton, U.K.
The final baby race of the Friday session went to the appropriately-named Look N Fabulous, a wire-to-wire winner in 2:00.1 in her first appearance. Lainie Hanover (Randy Waples) and Preeminence (Marcel Barrieau) closed well to complete the top trio.
Paul MacDonell was the driver aboard Look N Fabulous (Betterthancheddar - Looknforagirllikeu) a $17,000 Harrisburg yearling owned by trainer Anthony Beaton, who co-owns with David Mercer of Sydney, N.S., Gary Volpe of St Thomas, Ont. and George Quartarone of Claremont, Ont.
Two-year-old qualifiers will be held next week on (if necessary) Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22. For the charted lines from the Friday session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Baby Races).