If her connections have a golden touch with the family, trotting filly Dark As A Pocket has an extremely bright future.
Making her debut on Friday morning (June 29) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Dark As A Pocket was on top through every call for driver Paul MacDonell. After trotting on the lead sans competition through opening splits of :31.1, 1:01 and 1:31.1, Dark As A Pocket confidently powered home in :29.3 to trip the timer in 2:00.4. Royal Rhythm (Randy Waples) was more than two lengths back in second.
Trained by Mike Keeling for Dreamville Stable of Cambridge, Ont., Dark As A Pocket is a trotting filly from the first crop of Hambletonian winner Trixton from the Chocolatier mare Mariongotchocolate -- a half-sister to Keeling's 2016 Triple Crown winner Marion Marauder. Dark As A Pocket's ownership includes Devin Keeling and Jean Wellwood (of Marion Marauder fame) as well as Keeling and Paula Wellwood. Dark As A Pocket was a $90,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase.
"Obviously we were attracted to the pedigree but also she is a very striking filly with great size," Keeling told Trot Insider. "She's off to a good start."
On the pacing side, Deb made the biggest splash of the morning with a sizzling 1:55.2 score. The Dr. Ian Moore trainee took command of the qualifier after the :30 opening quarter, hit the half in :58.2 then hammered home a :57 back half to best her bracket by four lengths.
Deb (Sportswriter - Atlantic Seelster) was a $24,000 London Selected Yearling Sale purchase of Wilma & Jim MacKenzie of Ennismore, Ont.
To view the charts from the Friday morning qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Baby Races - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Please note that Woodbine will not be live streaming the qualifiers/baby races on Saturday. June 30.