After having taken a bit of a break from the pari-mutuel battles, Brad Grant’s Easy Lover Hanover took to Woodbine Mohawk Park on Tuesday morning (June 4) for the Campbellville oval’s qualifying session, and the son of Somebeachsomewhere got a nice tightener into him.
Doug McNair was in tow to the gelding for trainer Ben Wallace, and the duo lined up in Post 3 for the eight-horse tilt.
McNair settled the career winner of $834,000 into the three hole early over the 'fast' track, as the Sylvain Filion-driven Rafa carved the opening quarter in a pedestrian :29.1 and the half in :58.2.
With the fractions working against him, McNair tipped Easy Lover Hanover out from third in the vicinity of the 1:27.2 three-quarters pole. The pocket rider, Action Majesty (driven by Bruce Richardson), had also popped out for a stretch showdown as the trio made its way into the lane.
McNair angled Easy Lover Hanover out further in the stretch, and the career winner of 35 of 87 starts went to work. The bay threw himself into another gear and grabbed a good hold of the Mohawk stretch.
Easy Lover paced at a good clip through the lane, as he collared both Rafa and Action Majesty via a :26.4 closing panel and drew off for his first qualifying win off the layoff.
Easy Lover Hanover’s margin of victory was two and a half lengths. Rafa finished second, while Action Majesty held on to finish third.
Grant, of Milton, Ont., owns Easy Lover Hanover, who has been a force in Mohawk’s Preferred ranks for the past three years and captured the $314,600 Progress Pace at Dover Downs in 2016. Easy Lover Hanover lowered his mark to 1:48.1 last year as a five-year-old while racing in Mohawk’s Preferred.
To view the harness racing results for the Tuesday qualifying session from Mohawk, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).