Eight dashes went postward during the Friday morning (August 19) qualifying session at Mohawk Racetrack, and no horse was clocked faster than two-time O’Brien Award winner Lady Shadow.
Lady Shadow, the earner of $1.3 million in purses, kicked off the session in Race 1 over ‘fast’ conditions.
James MacDonald was in the bike for the qualifier and the duo started from the outmost post in the dash (Post 5).
The gate sped away and the race was pretty much over from there.
MacDonald and the daughter of Shadow Play crossed over early and clicked off the opening quarter-mile station in :28.1. The career winner of 22 races was ahead by three and a half lengths at that point.
Lady Shadow maintained her lead through middle fractions of :56.3 and 1:25.2 and was ahead by three and a half lengths as she brought the rest of the field in to the stretch.
The Ron Adams-trained mare tacked on another half length through the stretch, as she hit the wire four lengths the best and stopped the clock in 1:52.2 (off a final quarter in :27).
The win was one of three for MacDonald during the eight-race session. Rick Zeron also had a driving three-bagger.
Lady Shadow’s last pari-mutuel start came on Hambletonian Day (August 6) at the Meadowlands Racetrack, when she captured the $235,950 Lady Liberty (which was contested at the distance of one and one-eighth miles) in 2:03.
To view the harness racing results from the Friday qualifying session at Mohawk, click the following link: Friday Results – Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifying).