Due to circumstance, multiple stakes winners Well Said and Dial Or Nodial have gone completely different routes since the Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack this past June. This morning, the pair of high-end three-year-old pacers highlighted the qualifying docket at the Campbellville oval, as they met for the first time since the $1.5 million
event.
This morning's qualifying dash, carded as Race 9, was Dial Or Nodial's first charted race mile since suffering a blood bruise under a bone in its foot in the 'Cup.' Well Said, on the other hand, has gone on to dominate the 'glamour boy' ranks to much media attention and fanfare.
With driver Ron Pierce in tow, Well Said left from the rail this morning. Dial Or Nodial, with John Campbell in the sulky, left from Post 2.
After the first station was reached in :28.4, Pierce sent the Steve Elliott trainee to the front and clicked off the opening half in :57.1. Dial Or Nodial sat third throughout the opening half.
Well Said navigated the final Mohawk turn with ease and passed the three-quarters pole in 1:24.3. From there, the Western Hanover colt continued on its game and came home with a :27.1 final frame. The win time was a sharp 1:51.4. Dial Or Nodial finished second, one and three-quarter lengths in arrears.
Trot Insider, spoke with Dial Or Nodial's trainer, Jim Campbell, yesterday regarding the progress and coming weeks for the Western Ideal gelding.
Two-year-old Modern Art filly Exotic Pleasure got the qualifying session rolling in Race 1 with a wire-to-wire, half-length victory in 1:56.4. The filly, which got the job done after a Post 6 start, is trained by Erv Miller and was driven by Jody Jamieson.
The Jamieson/Miller combo clicked with another Post 6 winner in Race 2, as freshman Amigo Hall colt Tampico took control before the half and went on to post a one and three-quarter-length victory in 2:01.
Battle of Waterloo elim winner Future Million threw up a quick mile in Race 3, as the Donald-Lowes-trained and Simon Allard-driven Million Dollar Cam colt put in a gate-to-wire mile from Post 2 and stopped the clock in 1:53.4.
Taking control on the final turn, two-year-old Ken Warkentin filly Kenu Dance went on to post a 1:59.4 neck victory in Race 4. The filly was driven by its trainer, Roger Mayotte.
Horseman Stephen Lees hit the wire first in Race 5 with LN Billy The Kid, a five-year-old son of Billy Obest which had previously raced overseas. After having started from Post 7, Lees sent his mount right to the top early. The duo led at every call and cruised home with a :28.2 final quarter. The win time was 1:55 and the victorious margin was one and a half lengths.
In Race 6, top three-year-old Yankee Glide filly Raising Rachel recorded its first charted mile since just being edged by a nose in the Hambletonian Oaks on August 8. With pilot Jack Moiseyev at the helm, the $606,703 earner trotted off to a six and a quarter-length win in 1:56.1 for trainer John Kopas.
With Randy Waples driving for Dr. John Hayes, three-year-old Goliath Bayama filly Cats Meow paced to a one-length victory in Race 7. The mile was clocked in 1:57.1.
Five-year-old Yankee Glide gelding Renaissance Man proved the best in Race 8 for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Sandra Houghton. The gelding left from Post 5 and trotted to a gate-to-wire, half-length victory in 1:57.3.
To view the charted harness racing results from the Friday qualifying session at Mohawk, click here.