It was a busy morning of qualifiers at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday, as a number of rookies sought after a charted line in order to make themselves eligible
for a number of upcoming stakes.
The sale topper at last year’s two-day Canadian Open Yearling Sale, Raising Rhonda, got her act together after making breaks in her first two qualifying attempts for trainer John Kopas. With Jack Moiseyev at the lines behind the $200,000 yearling purchase, Raising Rhonda led through fractions of :30.3, 1:01.4 and 1:32.1 before storming home in :28.4 to stop the teletimer in 2:01.
The two-year-old daughter of SJs Caviar-Raising The Bar, who is a sister to stakes winners Raising Rachel (1:54.1 - $627,856) and Reach Higher (1:59.1 - $114,487), is owned by Ontario partners Mel Hartman, Doug Millard, the LLK Stable and the KR Stable.
Keystone Trenna, who also hangs her harness bag in the barn of trainer John Kopas, rallied to a 2:04.4 victory in the second qualifier of the morning session. The freshman daughter of Cantab Hall-Trista Seelster, who was a $20,000 buy back at last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale, stormed home in :29 seconds for driver Steve Condren en route to posting the winning effort.
The homebred sister to the stakes-winning Mr Lavec gelding, Keystone Titan (1:59 - $156,276), is owned by the Estate of George F Hempt Trust of Camp Hill, PA and Alice Kopas of Ilderton, ON.
Peach Martini, a $25,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale, went wire-to-wire in the third qualifier for trainer/driver Rick Zeron. He rolled the rookie daughter of Striking Sahbra-Armbro Martini through panels of :30, 1:00.3 and 1:30.3 before stepped home in :30 seconds to post the 2:00.3 decision.
The half-sister to Cordial Martini (1:53.4 - $397,697) is owned by Rick Zeron Stables, Rojan Stables, Michael Katz and Stephen Waldman.
Schooner, a two-year-old son of American Ideal-Monterey Bound, recovered from an early miscue to win his second consecutive qualifier for owner/trainer Blake MacIntosh of Cambridge, Ontario. The colt, who was purchased for a mere $6,000 at last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale, fired home in :27.3 to stop the clock in 1:57.2 for driver Mark MacDonald. The pacer won a qualifier at Flamboro Downs on June 25 in 2:03 after stepping a final quarter in :27.4 over that half-mile oval.
Herbie Drummond (1:55.4), M G Home Run (1:55.3), Caries Credit (1:58.4) and Speed Demon (1:55) were the other winners earlier this morning.
To view Friday’s results, click here.