Multiple Ontario Sires Stakes winner Century Lucifer prepped for his sophomore campaign with a career-best clocking during the morning's short qualifying session on Monday, June 16 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Making his second qualifying start of the season, Century Lucifer moved from third to first after a :29.1 quarter and began to stretch out his lead through middle splits of :58.3 and 1:26.1, eventually ending nine lengths in front after sprinting home in :26.4 for the new mark of 1:53 flat. Tyler Borth drove the Rene Dion trainee, who was trailed by four-year-old mare Rocks Shadow, a Harvest Series runner-up last fall, and three-year-old filly Ithadtobeyou, a Grassroots winner as a freshman.
Bred by Century Spring Farms, the colt sired by Shadow Play out of Exotic Pleasure won two Gold divisions and earned $142,381 during his eight-race rookie season for owners S&R Racing Stable of Acton, Ont., Marc Trudeau of St. Sauveur, Que., SMS Ventures of Montreal, Que., and M And L Of Delaware of Wilmington, Delaware.
Last year's Harvest Series trotting champion Move Your Mass was a 1:57.1 qualifying winner, popping the pocket and working past leader Southwind Francoo down the backstretch then kicking home in :28.4 to open up two lengths in rein to Bob McClure. The three-year-old Muscle Mass-Stonebridge Glider gelding went six-for-13 and earned just over $60,000 as a freshman for owner Mardon Stables of Loretto, Ont. He is trained by Jeff Williams.
Esplosione was left in a race of his own as he rounded the final turn and won the quickest trotting qualifier of the morning in 1:56, with Doug McNair guiding him home in :27.2. Kyle Fellows trains the six-year-old Kadabra-Dynamite Dame gelding on the comeback trail after earning more than a half-million dollars in his career. Esplosione is owned by Outofthepark Stable of Rockwood, Ont., Hay Tell Stable of Cobourg, Ont., Patrick Dillon of Port Hope, Ont., and Steve McGill of Bewdley, Ont.
There were just four qualifiers on Monday morning, with Kenneth Seastrom's homebred six-year-old pacing mare Blinded By Delight rounding out the winners in 1:55.1, looping to the lead at the half and holding on by a neck over a resurgent Alritealritealrite. Phil Hudon drove the Bettors Delight-Ladys Art mare trained by Blair Burgess.
To view Monday's complete qualifying results, click the following link: Monday Results (Qualifiers) - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
A replay of the video stream from the qualifiers is available below.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Century Lucifer from a previous win)