Two-year-old pacing filly Red Shadow, the full-sister to World Champion Shadow Play, made her career debut during this morning's qualifying session at Mohawk Racetrack
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The chestnut daughter of The Panderosa-Matts Filly sat fourth through early fractions of :30.2 and 1:01.1 before following Lismaraslady's first over move past three-quarters in 1:31.3. Red Shadow battled the leading Lis Mara-Studio Nine filly right to the wire, scoring the win in 1:59 by a neck. Scott Zeron did the driving for trainer Tony O'Sullivan. Red Shadow was a $20,000 Harrisburg sale purchase for Emerald Highlands Farm of Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Another debuting pacing filly from the O'Sullivan stable was Bound To Rock, owned and bred by Emerald Highlands Farm and W. James Sprow III of Lexington, Kentucky. The grey Rocknroll-Bound For Glory miss rallied from seventh with a :27.4 final frame to prevail in 1:58 by one and a half lengths in rein to Zeron.
Timothy Pinske's trotting colt Leave Your Mark also debuted a winner with Zeron in the bike. The son of Yankee Glide-Celebrity Liza advanced from fourth past the three-quarters mark and rallied home in :28.3 for the 2:01.4 half-length score.
Trotting filly Victoriacrest rallied from third over with a :29.3 final frame to score a 2:04.2 triumph in her debut by two and a half lengths. The homebred daughter of Mutineer-Fox Avenue Lisa is owned by Langcrest Farm of Grand Valley, Ont. Sylvain Filion was in the bike for trainer Kim Matthews.
Big McDeal scored her second straight victory in qualifying action for the Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge, Ont. The daughter of Mcardle-Ideal Gal, a half-sister to New York Sires Stakes standout Galimony (1:52.4f, $485,913), pulled the pocket at the third quarter mark and kicked home in :27.2 to score the 1:56.4 victory by five and three-quarter lengths with Paul MacDonell at the controls. She was a $70,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Select sale.
Other two-year-old winners were pacing colts Czar Seelster (Stonebridge Regal-Cmon Mama Cass) in 1:57.3 and In Commando (Camluck-Lingerie) in 1:58.2, pacing filly Ram Rocker (Rocknroll Hanover-Camadian) in 1:55.4, and trotting filly The Magic Of Paris (Kadabra-Balance The Paige) in 2:03.1.
For full results from Friday's 13-race qualifying session, click here.