Sunshine Beach colt Twin B Frenchtoast went the quickest of the babies Tuesday morning (Aug. 13) during the Woodbine Mohawk Park qualifying session.
Driver Mike Saftic sent the Jack Darling trainee to the top before yielding to Dover Seelster past a :29.2 quarter. Saftic sat in the pocket through splits of :59.2 and 1:28.3 until the head of the stretch and slid by to hit the finish first in a 1:56.3 mile. Twin B French Toast, a $30,000 yearling purchase from the Harrisburg Selected Yearling Sale, is owned by Jack Darling Stables Ltd. and previously finished ninth by 14 lengths in an overnight event after hitting the board in his first two starts, which came in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots.
Wholesome Hanover, who has made four-consecutive breaks in his charted lines, opened the two-year-old qualifiers with a backside sweep in progress to a 2:00.2 mile. The $11,000 Andover Hall colt—purchased at the Harrisburg Selected Yearling Sale—sat fifth, nearly 15 lengths off tempo-setter Beads moving to a :29.3 first quarter. Driver Sylvain Filion sent Wholesome Hanover three wide moving towards a 1:00.3 half and crossed over to the pylons rounding the final turn. Hetalkstoangels, who was first over heading to the half, narrowed on the leader’s margin past three-quarters in 1:30 but fell three-quarter lengths shy of the Scott McEneny at the finish. McEneny co-owns the winner with Teresa Davidson.
Big Blue Ford followed with a near wire-to-wire 2:03.1 mile in the second two-year-old qualifier on the day. Driver Mike Saftic pushed the Amigo Hall gelding starting from the pylons into second while Limeatcake Hanover trotted to a :31.3 opening quarter. Big Blue Ford then inherited the lead when Limeatcake Hanover got rough heading past the three-eighths pole and veered to the safety line while on a gallop. The Dennis Morriseey trainee cruised through a 1:03 half and past three-quarters in 1:33.2 to win while Stormont Timbit closed ground to finish second, two-and-a-half lengths behind. Morrissey co-owns the private purchase gelding with Dr. David James Penden.
Mike Saftic piloted another two-year-old to a qualifying win when Dreamadreamforme put a head in front of The Wild Card at the finish in 1:58.1. The Betterthancheddar filly — purchased for $22,000 at the 2018 Lexington Selected Sale — sat second to The Wild Card through a :30.1 first quarter and 1:00.2 half. Saftic angled the Jack Darling trainee from the cones passing three-quarters in 1:29.4 and loomed towards The Wild Card nearing the finish before edging past in the final strides. Darling owns the filly under Jack Darling Stables Ltd.
Oxford Hall — a $145,000 Lexington Selected Purchase by Oxford Hall Stables sired by E L Titan — took the final frosh qualifier by ranging first over towards a 1:59.4 mile. Driver Doug McNair sent the Gregg McNair trainee to the front heading to a :30.3 opening quarter before yielding control to Gamblin Road and Enduring Strength. Oxford Hall sat steady through a 1:00.2 half before tipping wide past three-quarters in 1:30.1 and rushing to the lead in the stretch as Gamblin Road went on a gallop. Trina rallied from the back of the field to take second, one length behind.
To view Tuesday's qualifying results, click on the following link: Tuesday Qualifying Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.