With qualifying action shifting to one day a week on Tuesdays at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the Campbellville, Ont. oval hosted a seven-race session this morning (July 26).
Gaetan Hebert's homebred pacing gelding Shes Watching Me was the fastest winner of the morning. Qualifying for the third time this month after a break in action since mid-April, the four-year-old son of Hes Watching cruised through panels of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:25.2 en route to a 1:54.3 victory by more than three lengths with Chris Christoforou aboard. The Luc Blais-trained North America Cup third-place finisher, Frozen Hanover, returning to home soil after competing in the Meadowlands Pace eliminations two and a half weeks ago, followed loosely in second for Bob McClure.
On the trot, Urntrouble Hanover and Sylvain Filion led all the way through fractions of :29.1, :58.2 and 1:27.3 to score in 1:56.3 by 1-1/2 lengths over Buck Dance, with Profiteer back in third. Clarke Beelby trains the four-year-old roan gelding by Kadabra for Sad Frog Farms of Vancouver, B.C.
Beelby also watched his three-year-old trotting filly Chocolate Parfait, co-owned with Coyote Wynd Farms, debut a winner in 1:58.3, with a :28.1 final frame. Christoforou drove the Muscle Mass-Chocolate Tiara filly, who is a half-sister to Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner All That Sparkles ($159,964).
The same connections clicked with two-year-old trotting colt Uncle Morris (Resolve-Ally Oop), who is two-for-two in qualifying action with his latest a 2:02.2 mile. A $60,000 yearling purchase from the Lexington Select Yearling Sale, he is half sibling to William Wellwood Stakes champion Seven And Seven ($347,016).
Other two-year-old winners included the John Brennan-trained trotting filly Stonebridge Bravo (Muscle Mass-Stonebridge Epic), whose dam is a half-sister to the Hall of Fame mare Peaceful Way ($3,245,055). She converted a pocket trip into a 4-3/4-length 1:59.4 score with a :28.1 last quarter when making her second qualifying start in rein to Mike Saftic. A $42,000 London Selected Sale purchase, Stonebridge Bravo is owned by Alan Janik of Tecumseh, Ont.
Trained and driven by Ian Moore, two-year-old pacing filly Sis (Sportswriter-Sammys Magic Girl) won her first qualifier in 1:58.4, holding on by half a length over Rose Run Yanna. The $100,000 Harrisburg Sale yearling, who is a half-sister to two-time O'Brien Award winner Scarlett Hanover ($1,078,205), is owned by Wilma and James MacKenzie of Ennismore, Ont.
For complete qualifying results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results (Qualifiers) - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
A replay of the video stream from Tuesday's qualifiers is available below.