A session of eight qualifiers circled the track at Woodbine Mohawk Park on a spring-like Thursday (March 11) under burgeoning sunshine and over a "fast" surface.
Moneyman Hill opened the session with a pocket-popping 1:54 mile over his stablemate Always A Hotshot, driven by a returning Jonathan Drury. Moneyman Hill, who finished third in last year's North America Cup, followed Always A Hotshot through fractions of :28, :57 and 1:25.4 before pouncing with a :28 final quarter and getting a head in front at the beam. Doug McNair drove the four-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding for trainer Carmen Auciello.
Drury had just the one drive during the qualifying session but the reinsman is slated for six drives on Saturday (March 13) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. In 2020, Drury finished eighth among all drivers with more than $2.9 million in earnings on Canadian soil. He had shoulder surgery mid-January that was originally slated to sideline him for 4-6 months, but the reinsman reported that his recovery went much better than anticipated.
"It felt really good," Drury told Trot Insider of his single morning test. "I'm still not 100 percent when it comes to range of motion but the pain has gone away for the most part and I feel comfortable."
In the final qualifier of the morning, another Auciello trainee—Uhtred—matched the fastest pacing mile on the morning. Driver James MacDonald sent the four-year-old Art Major gelding to the point and set a clip of :29, :57.4 and 1:26.1. With a :27.4 final quarter, Uhtred stopped the clock in 1:54 to finish two-and-three-quarter lengths better than stablemate Undrthesouthrnsun N.
Teddys Littleangel, who won on the Grand Circuit at two and in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold at three, put in the fastest trotting mile of the morning. The now five-year-old daughter of Archangel rode the pocket through fractions of :29.2, :58.4 and 1:28.3 until pacesetter Slip Into Glide slipped into a gallop off the final turn. Inheriting the lead, Teddys Littleangel strolled to the finish of a 1:59.1 mile six-and-a-half lengths better than Meeas Dream. Doug McNair drove the mare for trainer Ted MacDonnell.
The Thursday morning qualifying session is available in its entirety below:
To view Thursday's qualifying results, click on the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifier).