Trotters, Fillies Flood Mohawk

Published: June 4, 2021 08:40 am EDT

The preseason bonanza continued at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday morning (June 4), with a 15-race qualifying session dedicated to sophomore trotters and pacing fillies providing plenty of action at Ontario's premier harness racing venue.

No Pay No Way delivered a front-end 1:57.1 score in preparation for her upcoming season and registered the fastest trotting mile of the morning session in doing so. Trainer-driver Rick Zeron pushed the New York-eligible Credit Winner filly to the fore from post nine and controlled sectionals of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:28.3 before narrowly staving off a challenge from Meadowview Lilly (Scott Young) that lasted the length of the homestretch.

No Pay No Way, whose lone win in five starts last year came in a New York Sire Stakes preliminary at Yonkers Raceway, campaigns for the Bay Pond Racing Stable.

Last year's Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots champion among rookie trotting fillies, HP Mama B, was victorious in her first 2021 appearance, rallying from midfield to reach the winning post in 1:57.4. Sylvain Filion drove the daughter of Royalty For Life for trainer Ben Baillargeon, stalking from midfield before accelerating in deep stretch to collar Luc Blais trainee Dicentra by a head. Guylaine Picard and Celine Paquin own HP Mama B, whose four wins as a rookie all occurred on the OSS circuit.

OSS Gold preliminary winner Logan Park equalled HB Mama B's 1:57.4 time with a front-end tour of the Mohawk oval in line to Louis-Philippe Roy. The son of Archangel was uncontested through comfortable splits of :28.3, :59.2 and 1:29.2, and his :28.2 closing kick kept him 1-3/4 lengths clear of Four Wheelin (Marcel Barrieau). Robert Don Fellows trains the two-time winner for Outofthepark Stable, Reg Higgs and Arpad Szabo.

On the pacing side of the docket, Best Head West set a 1:54.3 standard with the help of driver Sylvain Filion and trainer Bob McIntosh. The Bettors Delight filly sustained a first-over push out of third to capture her second qualifying effort of the spring by a widening two lengths after a two-move, 1:56.1 win on May 27. Last season, Best Head West stamped herself as one of the top rookie pacing fillies in Ontario, winning three of 11 races and amassing four minor placings before sickness robbed her of the chance to compete in the OSS Super Final for owners and breeders McIntosh, CSX Stables and Al McIntosh Holdings.

The complete broadcast of the 15-race qualifying session appears below:

To view Friday's complete results, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifier).

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