After featuring the fillies on Friday, male pacers and trotters descended on Woodbine Mohawk Park for the track's second session of back-to-back days with a total of 15 two-year-old qualifiers on Saturday (June 22).
Your Still Up earned a 2:01.4 speed badge in his second appearance of the season. Driver Chris Christoforou allowed Scamp (Louis-Philippe Roy) to front a field of four to the opening :31 station bfore looping the leader to land on the lead and then make the rest of the calls winning ones. Picking up the tempo after a 1:03 half, Your Still Up trotted his back half in :58.4 to trip the timer in 2:01.4 with a compfortable margin over Scamp, with Oxford Hall (Doug McNair) splitting rivals for third.
A homebred owned by trainer Dustin Jones under his Dustin Jones Stables Inc., Your Still Up (Royalty For Life - Color Me Pretty) is a half-brother to former Jones pupil and OSS graduate Dont Rush.
Ben Dover (Anthony MacDonald) came first up on temposetter Mor Muscle Mass (Paul MacDonell) in the back half of the second qualifier, collared the leader through a strong third quarter brush and then closed his mile with a :29.1 end to his mile to trip the timer in 2:02. Wholesome Hanover (Sylvain Filion) closed well to narrow that gap to a half-length with Mor Muscle Mass completing the top three.
MacDonald trains Ben Dover (Uncle Peter - Andis Alana) for The Stable Ben Dover Group of Guelph, Ont. The trotting colt was a $16,000 Ohio Select yearling sale purchase.
Bettor Focus was a better pupil in his second appearance of the season, winning the third baby race of the morning and firts on the pace. Driver Bob McClure allowed the rookie to cut the mile through fractions of :30.3, :59.3 and 1:29.3 before a :28.3 final stanza to hit the wire in 1:58.1. Night Watchman (Jody Jamieson) was a bang-up second in his debut, just a half length back with National Sport (Louis-Philippe Roy) finishing in third.
A $40,000 Lexington Selected yearling, Bettor Focus is trained by Casie Coleman. She co-owns as West Wins Stable with Brad Grant & Teresa Davidson of Milton, Ont. and McKinlay & Fielding of Toronto.
Golden Sand connected for McClure and Coleman in the fourth qualifier of the morning, using similar gate-to-wire tactics. With initial splits of :31, :59.1 and 1:28.2, Golden Sand stretched out and opened up on his rivals turning for home through a :28.1 final quarter to win in 1:56.3. Farrohs Reign (Jody Jamieson) was a good second with Needless To Say (James MacDonald) also closing well for third.
A $110,000 Harrisburg purchase, Golden Sand (Somebeachsomewhere - Cannae Cammie) is a half-brother to the successful stakes winner Alexis Faith, also campaigned by Coleman. She co-owns with Ontario-based John Fielding, Mac Nichol, and McKinlay & Fielding.
Examiner Hanover scored his second win of the season to give the McClure-Coleman combo a third consecutive winner in the fifth baby race. Last Mach (Doug McNair) was strongest away from the outside of the gate, clearing the shadows and rivals to land on the lead before a :31 opening quarter. Examiner Hanover drove on and pressured the leader, clearing just before the :59.1 half. That front pair separated from the rest of the pack through that third quarter, reached in 1:28.2 before Examiner Hanover separated from all his counterparts in the final stanza. A :27.1 closing quarter equated to a mile in 1:55.3, with Last Mach and Utopian (Sylvain Filion) completing the top three.
A son of Hes Watching from the Rocknroll Hanover mare Ez Rock, Examiner Hanover was a $80,000 Harrisburg yearling. Coleman trains for Brad Grant of Milton and Steve Heimbecker of Conestogo, Ont.
The streak ended for Team Coleman in the sixth qualifier. It had to, as she had no entries. The winner was Team Best, who debuted two weeks ago with a sharp 1:55.4 mile and showed that was no fluke on Saturday. James MacDonald landed Team Best on top with a :31.2 first quarter, ceded to Light Up The Park (Jonathan Drury) for more than the midway part of the mile after a 1:00 half and 1:28.2 third panel, then popped out around the seven-eighths mark to power past for the 1:56.1 win. Light Up The Park was a respectable second with Bettorbuckleup solid for the show spot.
Blake MacIntosh trains Team Best, a son of Sportswriter and the first foal from former MacIntosh pupil Sports Chic, for breeder Winbak Farm of Chesapeake City, Maryland. The farm retained the yearling, sold at the 2018 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, for $150,000.
Magics Wizard made his first appearance of the season a successful one, winning the seventh qualifier. Driver Jody Jamieson tucked the trotter into the pocket behind Enduring Strength (Mario Baillaregon) through fractions of :31.1, 1:02.3 and 1:33.2 and then pulled from that pocket in the stretch to take a shot at the leader. Magics Wizard had more left in the tank than Enduring Strength and crossed under the wire in 2:01.4. Enduring Strength and Tymal Tarot (Rod Hughes) were next across the line.
Dave Menary trains Magics Wizard (E L Titan - Its All Magic), a homebred trotting colt owned by Don Leschied of South Woodslee, Ont.
Hot Wheelz improved off his sharp debut one week ago with a Saturday morning smackdown of his rivals in the eighth baby race. Intent on the lead, driver Jody Jamieson had Hot Wheelz overland through a :31.3 opener and that was the closest any horse would be for the rest of the mile. A five-length margin at the 1:01.2 hald stretched out to double digits by the 1:31 third station and increased through the final quarter. The mile was timed in 2:00.2, with Awesomedabra (Chris Christoforou) and Aussie Lover (Steve Byron) the next best in what looked like a different qualifying race.
A $15,000 London Selected Yearling Sale purchase of driver Jody Jamieson of Moffat, Ont., Hot Wheelz (Wheeling N Dealin - Affair Hall) is trained by Jody's wife, Stephanie.
In the ninth baby race, Sam McKee Hanover employed similar tactics to last week's qualifying effort to win in his second straight appearance. Driver Bob McClure positioned the pacer in the pocket behind Tint Of Mint (Sylvain Filion) through fractions of :31.1, 1:01.1 and 1:29.4 before right-lining the rookie midstretch and getting up in time for the 1:58 win. Tint Of Mint repelled the bid of Myinsidevoice (Trevor Henry) and almost rebuffed a second challenger but just came up short in an admirable effort. Macpherson Thunder (Mario Baillargeon) was third.
Trained by Casie Coleman, Sam McKee Hanover is owned by West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Ont., John Fielding of Toronto, Ont., Robert Darrow of Dublin, Oh. and Michael Cote Gagnon of Terrebonne, Que. The pacing colt was a $60,000 Harrisburg yearling.
Noch Ten picked up his second qualifying win of the season and matched the fastest mile time by a two-year-old in Canada in the tenth baby race. Driver Jonathan Drury left with Noch Ten and landed on top before a :28.3 first panel. The duo then yielded to Full View (Randy Waples), who cleared and then stopped once on the lead. Waples deftly angled the rookie back out into the two path, giving Noch Ten the lead back at the :59 half. The tempo increased through a 1:27.3 third stanza, with Allywag Hanover () stalking from second over to get to within striking distance at the head of the stretch. Allywag Hanover did his best to close on Noch Ten through a stretch drive and drift and but just fell short as Nuch Ten hit the wire in a sizzling 1:55. Calling All Beaches (Jody Jamieson) was third.
Carmen Auciello trains and co-owns Noch Ten (Warrawee Needy - Astrmowin) along with James Downer of Langley, B.C.
YS Mathis was a rare performer on the Saturday morning card that didn't have his name called as the leader at any point of the mile but the finish. Driver Louis-Philippe Roy settled Ys Mathis off the early fractions, positioned the pacer second over heading into the final turn and then exploded with pace late. A :26.1 final quarter resulted in a half-length win over Bettor At Hightide (Paul MacDonell) with Aces Rock (Jonathan Drury) third.
Jacques Dupont trains Ys Mathis (Sportswriter - Letmedowneasy) a homebred owned by Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation, Que. The colt is a half-brother to the speedy stakes winner Lets Drink On It.
My Bettors Del improved on his form, winning for the first time in the morning's twelfth baby race. Bob McClure settled that rookie into fifth early, allowing Dontblvmejustwatch (James MacDonald) to hit the first quarter marker in :30.1 before making a move for the top down the backstretch and landing on the lead before a 1:00.2 half. The back half tempo picked up significantly, with My Bettors Del uncorking a :56.3 final half to trip the timer in 1:57. Acrobat Hanover (Sylvain Filion) was a solid second and Dontblvmejustwatch stayed for third.
Jacques Dupont trains My Bettors Del (Bettors Delight - Bolero Fleet Star), a homebred Owned by Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation and now co-owned by Gestion Jam Audet Inc. of Portneuf, Que.
Sebastian Ray added another record performer to the credit of his sire with a sharp debut the thirteenth qualifier of the morning. Pocketed behind Solid (Sylvain Filion) through a tepid :32.3 opener, driver Mario Baillargeon asked Sebastian Ray to loop the leader and land in control and the rookie did so before the 1:04 half. That soft opening portion of the mile allowed for increased speed in the backside as Sebastian Ray opened up to reach the third station in 1:33 before winning by some seven length in 2:01.2. Solid was solid in his first outing with Hetalkstoangels (Chris Christoforou) third best.
A $50,000 Lexington Selected yearling, Sebastian Ray (Sebastian K - Baby Bella) is owned by 1187422 Ontario Inc. of Ottawa, Ont. and trained by Anthony MacDonald.
Stoney Curtis showed both patience and speed to win his second qualifier of the season in the fourteenth baby race of the morning. Jonathan Drury pocketed the pacer behind Linus (James MacDonald) through splits of :30, 1:00.2 and 1:30 before angling out turning for home and powering past to win in 1:57.3. Linus was a length back in second with Mayhem Hanover (Doug McNair) a hard-closing third.
Carmen Auciello handles the training duties on Stoney Curtis (Sunshine Beach - Alpine Gold N), who is owned by Denarben Stables of Thornhill and his Auciello Stables of Stouffville, Ont.
Denali Seelster closed the saturday session like he was in a hurry to get home, on top at every call at first asking. Dr. Ian Moore had the inside path to the lead and got his trainee there through a :30.3 opening panel. The tempo increased with every fraction after that Denali Seelster motored through subsequent splits of :29.2 and :27 to trip the timer in 1:57.1. Beach Blanket Book (Chris Christoforou) was a pocket-riding runner-up less than two lengths in arrears with Day Delight (Trevor Henry) closing for third.
Trained by Moore for Ratchford Stable NS of North Sydney, N.S., Denali Seelster (Sunshine Beach - Demi Seelster) was a $34,000 London Selected Yearling Sale buy.
Next week's qualifying sessions (if needed) will take place on Thursday (June 27) and Friday (June 28).
To view the results from Saturday's session of baby races, click the following link: Saturday Results (Baby Races) - Woodbine Mohawk Park