Two-year-old qualifying action returned to Woodbine Mohawk Park on Tuesday morning (July 24), and it was a pacing filly that stole the show for trainer Mark Steacy and driver James MacDonald.
Abuelita Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere – A Filly To Fear) took to the track for Race 4 and got the job done with a solid 1:54.1 performance. The filly, who was participating her second career qualifier, cut all the fractions (:29, :58.2, 1:27.1) from Post 6 and sealed the deal with a 27-second final quarter. She held on for a three-quarters of one-length victory over stablemate Beach Bar.
Abuelita Hanover, who was a $90,000 yearling purchase out of Harrisburg, is the fourth foal out of A Filly To Fear (by Western Terror), who has also produced $355,000 winner Lyons Again.
Steacy and MacDonald clicked with another two-year-old pacing filly in Race 6, as Tarryn A Strip (Captaintreacherous – Ubetterthink Think) recorded a wire-to-wire win from Post 2. After having cut all the fractions (:29.3, :59.3, 1:28.1), the bay fired home with a :27.4 final panel and stopped the clock in 1:56. The winning margin was three and a half lengths. Tarryn A Strip, who was a $55,000 yearling purchase out of the Harrisburg sale, is the fourth foal out of Ubetterthink Think (by Bettors Delight).
The first of the two-year-old qualifiers had kicked off the session in Race 1, and it was the Tony O’Sullivan-trained and Sylvain Filion-driven Money Hill (Muscle Hill – Norway No Day) that got the job done in 2:00.3. After a Post 6 start, the brown colt was third, more than seven lengths off the lead, at the 1:01 half. He made up ground along the final turn and was able to collar the temposetter in the lane for a one-length score in what was his charted debut. Money Hill is the fifth foal out of Norway No Day (by Self Possessed) and is a homebred of Ecuries R L Belanger of Laval, QC.
Freshman trotting colt Scarlett Raider (Archangel – Maple Sugar) launched a first-up attack after the 1:01 half, and went on to post a one and a quarter-length, 2:00.2 victory in Race 2. The $25,000 London Selected Sale purchase was steered by Trevor Henry for trainer Nick Gallucci. Scarlett Raider is the fifth foal out of Maple Sugar (by Malabar Maple).
The final two-year-old qualifier of the morning came in Race 7, and it was the Harold Wilson-trained and Sylvain Filion-driven Joe McDude (Big Jim – Mattercycle) that pounced from the pocket and recorded a two-length victory in 1:57.2. The brown colt had left from Post 1 and cut the opening quarter (:30.4) before being sitting the garden spot through the middle half (1:00, 1:29.1). The $6,500 London Selected sale purchase fired home with a :27.4 final quarter and got up for the win in what was his second career qualifier. Joe McDude is the tenth foal out of Mattercycle (by Diecycle).
To view the harness racing results for the Tuesday qualifying session at Mohawk, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifying).