After an up-the-track effort this past Tuesday at Mohawk Racetrack, 2011 Pride In Progress winner Il Villaggio bounced back with a victorious mile Friday during the Campbellville oval's qualifying session
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Having stepped out to contest the second race on the six-dash docket, the Blair Burgess-trained four-year-old lined up in Post 7 and took a conservative approach off the gate.
Racing over a 'fast' track, driver Anthony MacDonald nestled the son of Yankee Glide into third as Mustang Grif (driven by Scott Zeron) cut the opening quarter in 28 seconds.
MacDonald had Il Villaggio moving to the front in the second quarter, as the bay horse was overland on the lead when he tripped the half-mile timer in :57.3.
After having settled along the cones on the final turn, Il Villaggio went on to trip the three-quarters timer in 1:26.4. He had opened up three lengths on his foes when he passed the seven-eighths mile marker.
Il Villaggio ended up nailing the wire three and a quarter lengths the best in 1:54.4 courtesy of a 28-second closing quarter.
In other action, two-year-old Art Major filly Emily Car, the second foal out of O'Brien Award winner Cabrini Hanover, captured Race 3 in 1:55.1 for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Tony O'Sullivan. Winless in five pari-mutuel starts so far, the filly was putting in her first career charted line in Canada after having raced earlier this year in New Jersey and New York.
To view the complete harness racing results from the Friday qualifying session at Mohawk Racetrack, click the following link: Friday - Mohawk Racetrack.