Thursday's Loaded Qualifiers

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As stakes season approaches, each week brings more top talent to the track for qualifying sessions and Thursday's slate for Mohawk Racetrack and The Meadowlands should serve to thoroughly whet the appetite of racing fans

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Mohawk's lineup features a plethora of Trot's Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book selections. Top ten selection Red Bugler (25-1) as well as OK Commander (32-1), Grin For Money (35-1), Rock Me Please (38-1), Keystone Raptor (45-1), Piece Of The Rock (78-1) and Stonebridge Tonic (80-1) are all entered to qualify.

Grin For Money made his SBOA new owner mentoring group over $120,000 in 2009 and trainer John Kopas indicated that his colt is different physically, but not mentally.

"He grew up quite a bit and filled out, he's a more mature looking horse," Kopas told Trot Insider. "There were no changes in his attitude, which is good because he didn't need any."

Kopas indicated that the Grinfromeartoear colt would likely see two qualifiers before his 2010 pari-mutuel debut.

"Perhaps we'll put him in a three-year-old open to start. He's eligible to the Upper Canada Pace and he's also paid into the Bud Light," continued Kopas. "Then hopefully it's the Burlington and the North America Cup. He's staying in Ontario to race this year, there's no need to go anywhere else with him."

Other talented standardbreds on the 11-dash docket for Mohawk (click here for entries) include Windsong Soprano, Western Silk, Panagler, Tiz To Dream, Dali, Millionaire Cam and Nebupanezzar.

Stateside, four Pepsi NA Cup eligibles will head to the gate at the Meadowlands in one of 13 slated contests. One More Laugh (#4 in the Spring Book at 12-1) will face Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner Code Word (48-1) and Urgent Action (78-1). Sophomore Zarachino faces older foes in his first on-track appearance since a locked-in sixth place finish in the Jr. Trendsetter in late February.

In what should be the most anticipated of all the qualifiers, Brian Sears will sit behind Auckland Reactor N in Race 11 (click here for entries). The import sensation will see his first taste of North American harness racing for his connections including Canadian owners Peter Heffering, Tom Kyron, Bill Loyens, Doug Millard, Irv Storfer, Fred Brayford and Dr. Michael Wilson.

Trotters Corleone Kosmos, Poof Shes Gone and Costa Rica as well as O'Brien Award nominee Put On A Show will also head postward.

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