On Wednesday, June 19 at Mohawk Racetrack, the Dustin Jones-trained Wheelin N Dealin continued to prep for his 2013 campaign by trotting his second qualifying mile of the season over the Campbellville oval.
With regular pilot Sylvain Filion in the sulky, Wheeling N Dealin kicked off the 13-dash morning session by trotting to a gate-to-wire victory in Race 1. The win time was 1:57.1 and the margin of victory was nine lengths.
Filion fired the three-year-old son of Cantab Hall out from Post 6 and led by more than three lengths at the :28.4 quarter pole. The career winner of over $683,000 in purse earnings cruised through the middle half of the mile. The colt pranced by the half-mile pole in :59.3 and went on to pass the three quarters of a mile marker in 1:29.1. Filion asked Wheeling N Dealin for a little bit of trot in the lane, and the undefeated bay responded by putting up a 28-second final quarter to seal the deal.
Earlier this month, Jones discussed the path he and Wheeling N Dealin's connections have carved out leading up to the Hambletonian. “We’re not sure if we’re going to qualify him two or three times," Jones said (Jones has since confirmed the colt will qualify a third time). "Our plan is to race him in a few overnights at Mohawk, then maybe race him the week before the Hambletonian in a Three-Year-Old Open. He’s eligible to the Stanley Dancer and the Yonkers Trot. We had a meeting the other day, and we decided he’s definitely not going to the Yonkers Trot."
Later, in Race 9, Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship divisional winner Dapper Dude recorded his second qualifying mile of the 2013 season. With driver Randy Waples calling the shots for trainer Bob McIntosh, the son of The Panderosa left hard, grabbed the lead after the opening quarter, and went on to notch a three and a quarter-length victory in 1:53.3.
The Waples-McIntosh connection clicked again in Race 12 with last season's Pepsi North America Cup winner Thinking Out Loud. Waples put the son of Ponder right on the engine early, cut all the fractions (:28.3, :57.2 and 1:25.3) and closed with a :27.1 final quarter for an open-lengths victory in 1:52.4.
To view the harness racing results for the Wednesday qualifying session at Mohawk, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifying).