Just days before the 2019 Hambletonian, Forbidden Trade tuned up during a Woodbine Mohawk Park qualifying session and finished second in his race. This year’s Hambo champ is now just days away from Saturday’s $665,000 (est.) Canadian Trotting Classic, and it appears as though he may be looking to repeat the successful process.
Forbidden Trade brought immediate star power to Mohawk’s Tuesday (Sept. 10) qualifying session, as he contested the first of six races on the morning docket.
A scratch reduced the field down to five, which resulted in the Kadabra colt starting from Post 5 for his regular pilot, Bob McClure. The duo faced the gate over a ‘fast’ track and floated off the gate in good order.
McClure wasn’t worried about Forbidden Trade rushing out to the lead. The pair opted to cruise into the two-hole early and take a seat behind Teddys Littleangel, who got down to the quarter pole in :28.3 for driver Doug McNair.
Forbidden Trade trotted along leisurely in the second quarter. He was a well-gapped second through the panel (roughly five lengths in arrears at times), but started to reel in Teddys Littleangel somewhat prior to the :58.3 half-mile marker.
McClure didn’t press Forbidden Trade along the turn, as he was content to allow his charge to follow before and past the 1:27.4 three-quarters pole.
The approach didn’t change in the final panel, as McClure and Forbidden Trade trotted at their own tempo the rest of the way home. They wrapped up their mile with a :28.2 quarter mile and finished second, beaten four and a half lengths.
Teddys Littleangel posted a gate-to-wire win in the qualifier, as the three-year-old Archangel filly was first under the wire in 1:56 off of a :28.1 final quarter.
Canadian-based Forbidden Trade, driven by Elora, Ont.'s Bob McClure, trained by Campbellville, Ont.'s Luc Blais and owned by Determination of Montreal, Que., made the nation proud on August 3 at the Meadowlands Racetrack when he upset the favoured Greenshoe en route to victory in the 94th edition of the $1 million Hambletonian. For a complete recap of Forbidden Trade’s Hambletonian victory, click here.
To view the harness racing results from the Tuesday qualifiers at Mohawk, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).