A pair of solid three-year-olds played a little game of 'catch me if you can' during Mohawk Racetrack's Friday qualifying session. And the trailer, a filly, recorded the fastest closing quarter of her career in
the process.
The duo got right down to it during the first of the session's seven races.
The pair of sophomores in question consisted of the sub-1:50 pacer Rockabillie and 2010 Battle of the Belles victress Village Janus.
Both of the pacers took a stalking approach early, as they allowed Noartographsplease (driven by Chris Christoforou) to pace to the opening quarter in :28.2 before slowing it right down in the second panel. Noartographsplease got down to the half in :59.1.
With his conditioner, Dr. Ian Moore, at his lines, Rockabillie had seen enough. He went to the front on the final turn and had opened up three lengths on his closest rival by the time he tripped the three-quarters timer in 1:27.4.
While the Rocknroll Hanover colt was loose on the lead in the lane, driver Scott Zeron and the Rod Therres-trained lass Village Janus were still biding their time in fourth. The pair was still four and a half lengths behind Rockabillie at the seven-eighths mile marker, but that is when Zeron really unleashed his Modern Art filly.
Village Janus didn't make up all the ground on her male counterpart, as Rockabillie held on to record a one and a half-length margin of victory in 1:55.1 over the lass.
Although she didn't hit the wire first, Village Janus did record the fastest closing quarter of her charted career, as she paced her final frame in a solid :26.2.
Other highlights from the qualifying session included China Pearls' five and three-quarter-length victory in 1:57.4 for driver Randy Waples and trainer Carman Hie in Race 6, and the second-place finish of the Keith Oliver-driven and Tony Montini-trained Mr Apples in Race 7. Mr Apples paced in 1:56.1 in what was just his second charted mile of the 2011 campaign.
To view the harness racing results from the Friday qualifying session at Mohawk, click the following link: Friday - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).