The eight-race qualifying session on Tuesday morning (August 24) at Woodbine Mohawk Park featured a number of notable performers including a pair of Determination's O'Brien Award-winning sophomore trotters trained by Luc Blais.
Donna Soprano, Canada's 2020 Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year, opened the session with a 1:56.3 qualifying win in rein to Bob McClure for Blais and Determination.
Making her second consecutive qualifying start, the Donato Hanover-Windsong Soprano filly swept from third to first at the :58.4 half-mile mark and cruised past three-quarters in 1:28 before sealing the deal with a :28.3 final frame. She finished one length in front of early leader Plumville Prince, with Tipsy Dixie back in third.
Donna Soprano, whose latest conquest was the Delvin Miller Memorial last month at The Meadowlands, has won half of her 12 starts lifetime while banking just over $675,000 in purses.
On A Streak, Canada's 2020 Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year, turned in a 1:56.2 tune-up with McClure in the sulky for the same connections.
The three-year-old Cantab Hall-Habits Best colt sat a two-hole trip behind veteran trotter Ramas Last Son through fractions of :28.4, :58.3 and 1:28 before popping out of the pocket in the stretch and trotting home in :28.1 to defeat that foe by a three-quarters of a length in 1:56.2. Never Mind N finished third.
On A Streak, last year's Breeders Crown and William Wellwood Memorial champion, was a vet scratch from the Hambletonian eliminations and last raced in the Arthur Tompkins Memorial Stakes at The Meadowlands on July 24, finishing second by half a length to Ambassador Hanover. He has won two of his seven starts this year to push his lifetime bankroll to nearly $895,000.
Two-year-old Greatest Ending was the fastest winner of the session, debuting with a 1:55.1 effort for the father-son team of trainer Ian Moore and driver Tyler Moore.
After a 31-second opening quarter, Greatest Ending looped Yarm and picked up the pace down the backstretch to the half in :59 and three-quarters in 1:27. He then held off a resurgent Yarm in the stretch to win by a neck. Dreamfair Sunshine finished five lengths back in third.
The homebred Somebeachsomewhere-Lady Be Great colt, whose granddam is Shes A Great Lady, is owned by Reginald Petitpas of Moncton, N.B.
The quickest of the two-year-old trotters was the Shawn Steacy-trained filly Warrawee Xenia, who prevailed in a career-best 1:58 flat.
With James MacDonald in the bike, the Walner-Endless Flirt filly carved out fractions of :29.4, :59.4 and 1:29.1 before holding off Da Royal Miracle by a neck despite drifting out down the lane. Real Good Tan finished well back in third.
Warrawee Xenia, who won her career debut on July 29 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, was qualifying after making a pair of miscues in her latest races. She is owned by David McDonald of Cornwall, Ont., Dale Larson of Kent City, Michigan, Bertrand Gilhespy Stable of Edmonton, Alta., and A K Malik Stable of Ottawa, Ont.
To view Tuesday's complete qualifying results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results (Qualifiers) - Woodbine Mohawk Park.