The sky's the limit for No Better Air and Land The Plane, the fastest two-year-old qualifiers of their respective gaits on Friday, Aug. 1 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
No Better Air and driver Trevor Henry sat the pocket allowed Kosi Bay Kiwi (James MacDonald) to front the field through fractions of :29.2, :59.2 and 1:29.2. Heading out of the far turn, Henry right-lined No Better Air from the two hole and the filly sprinted home in :27 to trip the timer in 1:56.3. Playsomethingsweet (Jody Jamieson) finished two-plus lengths back in second with Miss Wiggles (Brett MacDonald) completing the top trio.
A daughter of Cattlewash - Claireabell bred by Glencairn Racing Stable of Toronto, Ont., No Better Air is owned by Andrea Lea Racingstables Inc. of Lakefield Gore, Que., trainer Scott McEneny of Carlisle and Aristi Varsakis of Hamilton, Ont.
Driver Jody Jamieson employed similar tactics with Land The Plane to score in the fastest rookie trotting mile of the session. Jamieson landed his charge on the pylons from post four behind tempo-setting Fourth Gear (Henry) and trotted in a loose pocket through fractions :29.1, :58.2 and 1:27.3 while I Am (Doug McNair) challenged the leader down the backside while out in the three path. McNair eventually steadied his trotter around the final turn but lost significant ground in the process, retreating back behind Land The Plane. In the stretch, both Land The Plan and I Am fanned out to attack the leader. Land The Plane soared through the final sixteenth to trip the timer in 1:57.2, besting I Am by three parts of a length.
Purchased at Lexington from breeder Tom Crouch for $83,784, Land The Plane (Tactical Landing - Shape Shifter) is owned by trainer Carl Jamieson of Puslinch, Jody Jamieson of Guelph and David Lemon of Komoka, Ont.
The full video stream is available below.
For results from the qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).
(Standardbred Canada)