A qualifying six-pack was contested Monday morning at Mohawk Racetrack, and among the winners was the OSS graduate and multiple Mares Open winner, Warrawee Koine.
The six-year-old daughter of Astreos-My Gal Hall, who had not seen racing action since July 20, was a front-stepping winner in her prep in a time of 1:54.2. Mike Saftic hustled Warrawee Koine to immediate command from Post 4 and she proceeded to lay down fractions of :28, :57.2 and 1:26.3 before finishing off the mile with a final quarter clocked in :27.4.
Corey Johnson trains the career winner of $599,668 for Dr. Mike Wilson of Rockwood, ON. Wilson’s Warrawee Farm bred the 26-time winner.
Conspicuous by his absence was Panther Hanover, who was scratched from what would have been his second qualifier since his disappointing performance in this year’s Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs. The James ‘Friday’ Dean pupil, who was all the talk at the water cooler following his 1:47.2 score in the Thomas D’Altrui SBOA New Jersey Classic Final at The Meadowlands on August 4, miscued behind the starting gate and finished sixth in a qualifying attempt at Mohawk on August 31.
Whiskey Tax, the runner-up in last year’s Hambletonian, edged out Il Villaggio in the sixth qualifier during the Monday morning session. Tom Durand rallied Whiskey Tax to the 1:56 victory thanks in part to the gelding’s :27-second final quarter. Il Villaggio, the winner of the 2009 William Wellwood Memorial Trot, was 1-1/4 lengths in arrears.
The other qualifying winners were Canadian Princess (2:00.2), Revival Rock (1:56.4), Magic Peach (1:59.4) and Career Criminal (1:59.2).
To view results for Monday's harness racing qualifiers, click the following link: Monday Qualifier Results – Mohawk Racetrack.