Sidelined for nearly three months, Dan Patch Award-winning trotting filly Special Way resurfaced in Wednesday morning's qualifying session at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Trained and driven by Ake Svanstedt, the three-year-old Walner filly turned in a 1:53.3 qualifying win in her return, besting a trio of older mares by 8-1/4 lengths, with a :27 final frame. Special Way looped early leader Queen Of All after opening panels of :29.2 and :58.3 then hit three-quarters in 1:26.3 and took off.
Special Way boasts 10 wins and one second-place finish from a dozen starts in her career with earnings totalling $956,850 for Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. Undefeated in three starts this year, the Breeders Crown champion was sidelined after the New Jersey Sire Stakes final on June 2 at The Meadowlands due to a bone infection, according to a report from the Hambletonian Society.
Special Way is being pointed to the Kentucky meet and the fall racing season.