A trio of past O'Brien Award winning trotters were back in action during Saturday's qualifying session at Woodbine Racetrack, including former Horse of the Year and fan favourite San Pail.
The 10-year-old trotting titan won his first qualifier of the season in 1:58.3 with regular reinsman Randy Waples aboard.
San Pail sat behind Gunga Win through fractions of :29, :59 and 1:29 before taking over the lead in the stretch and trotting off to the eight-length victory. Meanwhile, another past O'Brien winner, Wheeling N Dealin, finished fifth in his four-year-old debut, individually clocked in 2:01.3, for trainer Luc Blais.
San Pail returned to the races last fall after recovering from a right-hind ankle injury and captured a Preferred Trot at Mohawk Racetrack in his second start off the shelf in 1:53.1 before being shut down for the winter.
Trainer Rod Hughes and his wife Emily share ownership of the San Pellegrino-Village Beauty gelding, who is a winner of 52 races and over $3.1 million, with breeder Glenn Van Camp.
Also driven by Waples, Preferred trotter Catch The Dream was an eight and three-quarter length winner in 1:58.3 for trainer Bruce MacDonald over the season-debuting O'Brien winner Intimidate. Trained by Blais, Intimidate won the Credit Winner Trot and banked $176,000 during his four-year-old campaign last season and earned another O'Brien nomination.
In other action, Bob McIntosh's Champlain Stakes champion trotter Pasadena Star recovered from an early break in stride and finished second in a 2:00.2 mile behind his stablemate, filly Lenny Mac. Pasadena Star went six-for-eight racing predominantly in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots program and banked over $100,000 last year. Both Kadabra offspring were making their seasonal debuts.
Another McIntosh Grassroots trotter, Tyrone Haji, was victorious in 2:00.2.
To view Saturday's complete qualifying results, click on the following link: Saturday Results (Qualifiers) - Woodbine Racetrack.