Dreamfair Eternal, Canada's Horse of the Year in 2010, made her seasonal charted debut Monday, May 9 during the morning qualifying session at Mohawk
Racetrack in Campbellville, Ont.
With her regular pilot, Randy Waples, in tow, the seven-year-old daughter of Camluck started from Post 4 in Race 9, the last dash on the docket.
Dreamfair Eternal was worked into a two-hole ride from Waples, who placed the mare in the garden spot through fractions of :28.4, :58.3 and 1:27.3.
The horse on the engine was the Murray Brethour-trained and Rick Zeron-driven Mach Three bay Mach Dreamer, who was making his four-year-old charted debut in the dash. After having carved out the fractions, the career winner of $509,722 chugged right along in the lane. He closed with a :26.3 final quarter and posted a one and three-quarter-length win in 1:54.1 over Dreamfair Eternal, who finished second.
Dreamfair Eternal finished up her mile with a :26.4 final quarter and was individually timed in 1:54.3.
"I was really happy with her," Waples told the Woodbine Entertainment Group. "She’s really not one to come out in the morning and do a whole lot of extra work unless she has to. I was really happy today, the track was just average and it’s windy out today. She followed a good horse in Mach Dreamer and she was right on his helmet at the wire."
Just before Dreamfair Eternal made her 2011 charted debut, a pair of trotting lasses also put their best hooves forward for the first time this season.
Race 8 saw O'Brien Award winner Windsong Soprano qualify victoriously for driver Randy Waples and trainer Bob McIntosh. After having started from Post 5 and sitting third early, the five-year-old daughter of Windsongs Legacy went to the top before the opening half and went on to post a two and a half-length victory in 1:57.
"She's always a pleasure to sit behind," Waples told WEG. "She's perfect gaited and does everything the way you want her to do it. Bob always has them ready to go."
Four-year-old Andover Hall mare Christina Hanover finished fourth behind Windsong Soprano. The 2010 Moni Maker winner was driven by Riina Rekila, who has trained her for the past two seasons. She was beaten eight lengths in the dash and was individually clocked in 1:58.3.
Earlier in the card, a trio of three-year-olds eligible to Mohawk Racetrack's $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup finished in the top three in their respective dash (Race 4).
After having started from the rail, the Cameron McKnight-trained and Sylvain Filion-driven Mach Of Ballykeel --- who has been ranked at odds of 65-1 in Trot Magazine's 2011 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book --- went wire to wire and recorded an eight and three-quarter-length victory in 1:55.4. The morning test was the second qualifying effort of the season for the Mach Three colt which took his mark in 1:53.3 last year at two.
Mach Of Ballykeel's victory came over the James Morrison-trained and Jody Jamieson-driven 'Cup' eligible Lyons Johnny (150-1 in Spring Book). The Mach Three colt took a pocket ride through the fractions and finished second. He was individually timed in 1:57.3. The Keith Oliver-driven and Gregg McNair-trained Facebook (65-1 in Spring Book) finished third. The Mach Three colt broke stride early and finished third, beaten more than 10 lengths. The colt was timed in 1:57.4.
For results from Mohawk Monday's morning session of qualifying races, click the following link: Monday Results - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).