‘Babies’ are beginning to surface in qualifiers, and, as a matter of fact, the first two-year-old qualifying wins of the season in Canada were recorded over the course of the past few days.
The distinction of being Canada’s first two-year-old qualifying winner of 2019 goes to the Kevin MacLean-trained and Gilles Barrieau-driven Major Asset. The Art Major colt won a qualifier over Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park this past Saturday (June 1) with a gate-to-wire, 2:00.2 performance. The margin of victory was two and a half lengths for Major Asset, who is owned by Ian Smith (of Charlottetown, P.E.I.) and Reginald MacPherson (Stratford, P.E.I.).
A pair of two-year-olds won qualifiers a day later – Sunday, June 2 – at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
The first of the Rideau qualifier winners was the Robert Robinson-trained and driven Alyvia Deo, who captured the first race of Rideau’s Sunday session. The daughter of Trixton closed from off the speed in her qualifier and got up to record a head victory in 2:01.1 over a ‘good’ track that was rated one second slow. Alyvia Deo is owned by Synerco Ventures Inc., of Toronto, Ont.
American Rebel, who is also trained and driven by Robert Robinson, was the other two-year-old winner from the Rideau qualifying session. The American Ideal colt recovered from an early break in stride over the ‘good’ track to be a solid, off the pace winner. American Rebel raced overland for a good portion of the mile before winning by almost three lengths. The time of the mile was 2:02.1. Robinson, of Metcalfe, Ont., also owns American Rebel.