The qualifiers at Southern Oaks Training Center on Friday, April 12 hosted numerous prolific names in harness racing with the entries headlined by 2023 Trainer of the Year Dr. Ian Moore.
Two-time O'Brien Award winner Stockade Seelster topped the seven-race qualifying session as the four-year-old son of State Treasurer-Soiree Seelster posted a 1:52 performance, winning every panel.
Kyle Husted got the call to drive the Moore student. The pair breezed through panels in :26.4, :56.4 and 1:24.2 before continuing on to win by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:52 over Clever Cody.
"We have no head checks on this year. He seems to like that. He's been two fingers to do anything with, too, which is great," Dr. Ian Moore told Trot Insider. "They went a real big mile, 1:51.3 is what my watch read. 'Stockade' pulled away from 'Cody' actually by the upper three lengths of the stretch."
Sally and Paul MacDonald co-own Stockade Seelster, a winner of $1,595,158 with a record of 15-4-6 from 30 starts. The millionaire horse made his first track appearance of 2024 in the qualifier.
Stockade Seelster's mile bested his one other foe in the mile, stablemate Clever Cody (driven by Moore). The sophomore The Panderosa-Cams Van Go colt is a North America Cup eligible and winner of $415,810 from 10 starts. His career record stands at six wins, one second and two thirds. Clever Cody Stable owns the colt.
"I've been trying to get him to empty out before he goes training and he won't do it. Tried it again today, going to the three-quarter pole he does it and loses a couple lengths and never made it back up. Still a pretty good mile today."
The second race qualifier hosted just three horses, all three students from Moore's stable. Stakes winners Odds On Platinum and Ann had posts two and three, respectively, while North America Cup eligible Storm Shadow had the rail.
Moore was in the bike of Storm Shadow and they left to the top, setting out panels in :27 and :57.4. Odds On Platinum (Peter Wrenn) followed in second and Ann (Husted) got away third. At the three-quarters in 1:27, Odds On Platinum swept to take over the lead and Ann followed to the outside. Odds On Platinum went on to win by a length in 1:54.3, Storm Shadow took second and Ann completed the order of finish.
"Odds On Platinum, Peter Wrenn drove her for me because he had her last year as a baby for me. She ended up winning it by about a length. Storm Shadow, he come to life, I cut the mile with him. They were all right there, within a couple lengths of each other," said Moore.
Let It Ride Stables Inc. owns the sophomore Bettors Delight-American Jewel mare. Odds On Platinum was a winner of $370,207 in her freshman campaign. In 11 starts, she posted a record of 2-6-1.
Sophomore colt Storm Shadow (Bettors Delight-Fade) posted a record of 4-1-3 in 11 starts, banking $375,154 for owners R G McGroup Ltd., Serge Savard, Mac Nichol and Bolton Farms LLC.
Ann (Hes Watching-Addicted To Love) is owned by Wilma & James Mackenzie. She had three wins in six starts with $72,360 earned.
(Standardbred Canada; photo from a previous win of Stockade Seelster on Sept. 1, 2023)