After a disappointing performance in the $113,250 Honourable Earl Rowe Memorial Cup at Georgian Downs on May 26, Mister Herbie made his way to the sidelines and didn’t resurface until this morning at Mohawk Racetrack. Judging by his qualifier, it's safe to say the Jeff Gillis pupil is clearly over whatever was keeping him from being less than his stellar self.
Jody Jamieson sat behind Mister Herbie in this morning’s prep for the upcoming Maple Leaf Trot, and the OSS graduate darted to the lead from Post 9 and was hustled through fractions of :29.1, :57.2 and 1:25.1 before firing home in :27.2 to win by 24 lengths in 1:52.3.
The four-year-old son of Here Comes Herbie-Independent Lassie owns a 4-1-0 record from six starts this season in addition to a seasonal bankroll of $230,000 thanks in large part to victories in the $125,000 Glorys Comet Series and the $210,000 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial. The 14-time winner will look to add to his $559,000 bankroll against some of the sport’s top older trotters in the upcoming Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk. Eliminations, if necessary, are scheduled for July 14 with the final the following week.
For what it’s worth, the 1:52.3 effort is the fastest trotting qualifier in the history of Canadian harness racing. Jamieson also tagged along for the fastest Canadian qualifier with a pacer earlier this year when he mapped out a 1:49.2 victory with Warrawee Needy.
I Found My Beach made his second qualifying appearance of the season for trainer Bob McIntosh, who watched the OSS star tighten the screws with a 1:53.4 performance. Randy Waples, who guided the three-year-old son of Mach Three-Ohio Annie to a 1:55 qualifying win one week ago, sat second through a quarter in :28.2 this morning before brushing the pacer to the top and slicing out middle panels of :57.3 and 1:26.3 en route to the 1:53.4 score.
A late season injury forced the youngster to the sidelines prior to last year’s OSS Super Final, but it appears as though he’s more than ready to get back to business for his connections. He faced the gate seven times last season and managed to put together a 3-3-1 record while stashing away close to $200,000 in earnings.
Trainer Casie Coleman sent out trio of two-year-old qualifying winners, as well, on Friday morning including Conquer The Beach. The daughter of Mach Three-Beach Guest led through fractions of :29.4, :59 and 1:27.4 before snapping home in a :28-second clip to stop the clock in 1:55.4. Scott Zeron engineered the winning effort with the half-sister to a former Coleman-trained star, Guestimate (1:50.3 - $656,546). The filly was a $57,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
Social Scene, an American Ideal-On The Catwalk filly, also won for the duo of Coleman and Zeron. She supplied panels of :30.4, :59.3 and 1:28 en route to her 12-length tally in 1:56.2. She was a $37,000 Lexington Select Yearling Sale purchase.
See And Ski, a Somebeachsomewhere-Must See colt, was on the hook for fractions of :30.4, :59.1 and 1:27.4 before punching home in :27.4 to win his qualifier for Coleman and Zeron in 1:55.3. The half-brother to the 2008 North America Cup winner, Well Said (1:47.3 - $2,690,820), was a $120,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
Dreamfair Epic, a Somebeachsomewhere-Lady Joanna colt, stepped to his second consecutive qualifying victory for the tandem of driver Billy Davis, Jr. and trainer Pat Fletcher. He brushed to the lead shortly past the quarter pole and set middle fractions of :58.3 and 1:27.4 before rocketing home in :27.4 to freeze the teletimer in 1:55.3. The $50,000 Harrisburg Yearling Sale purchase is a half-brother to Stonebridge Regal (1:48.1 - $1,065,578).
Other rookie qualifying winners were Hobsons Choice (2:01.3), Southwind Siren (1:58.4), Rolls Blue Chip (2:02.3), Bostonz Credit (1:59.1) and Badlands Shadow (1:58).
To view results for Friday's qualifiers, click the following link: Friday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.