Sub-1:50 Qualifier For Warrawee Needy

Published: May 10, 2012 11:15 am EDT

Up The Credit, last year's Pepsi North America Cup winner, recorded a solid qualifying win Thursday morning at Mohawk Racetrack for trainer Carl Jamieson and driver Jody Jamieson. Although, it was an aspiring NA Cup charge for the same father-son combo that had people at the Campbellville, Ont. oval buzzing

during the session.

Warrawee Needy, who has been ranked as the 9-2 second choice in Trot Magazine's Na Cup Spring Book, fired from Post 6 in Race 2, which featured a field of seven.

Once the starting gate rolled away, the E Dees Cam colt was past his foes in a flash, as he opened up 10 lengths on his closest rival before tripping the quarter-pole clock in 28 seconds. Increasing the throttle in the second panel, 'Needy' marched down to the half-mile marker in 55 seconds, opening up his advantage to 15 lengths in the process.

Gearing down just a smidge on the final turn, Jamieson and the career winner of $535,000 in purses went on to throw up a :27.3 third quarter and froze the third timer in 1:22.3.

After having been up by a whopping 20 and a half lengths at the three-quarters marker, Jamieson and the nine-time career winner zipped home with a :26.4 final frame to record a 31-length win in a sizzling 1:49.2.

“He was brilliant, just like he always is,” Jody told the Woodbine Entertainment Group afterward. “The Upper Canada Cup (elims May 19 at Georgian Downs) should be fun. With these kinds of horses, it’s always great when you get to race under the lights and see how they have matured.”

Having a tough act to follow in Race 3, Up The Credit took a more conservative approach for the Jamiesons.

After having started from Post 5, Up The Credit, a four-year-old son of Western Terror, shot out to the lead by the :28.2 quarter pole. He got covered up in the second quarter, as Odysseus Bluechip (driven by Mario Baillargeon) took over command of the top and led the field through middle fractions of :56.4 and 1:25.2.

Out for an attack in the lane, Up The Credit fired home in :27.2 for a one and three-quarter-length victory in 1:53. The win came over established aged pacing performer Bigtime Ball, who was putting in his first charted line of the 2012 season.

Standout Ontario Sires Stakes graduate Magic Wheel had kicked off the session in Race 1 with a one and a half-length victory for trainer-driver Joe Hudon Jr. The pair had fired out to the lead early and had taken a shuffle to fourth before the four-year-old Kadabra mare came back on for the win in 1:58.

Fast forward to Race 6 and it was the speedy Tony O'Sullivan trainee Alsace Hanover who was attracting the centre of attention.

Teamed with driver Scott Zeron in Post 4, the four-year-old gelded son of The Panderosa took the passive approach in the early going, as he settled into the four-hole and watched the action from that vantage point through splits of :28.1 and :57.1.

First-over in third at the 1:25.1 three-quarters pole, Zeron and Alsace Hanover decided to flex their muscles. They picked off their foes and threw a three-length disadvantage at them. The win time ended up being 1:53.1 off 'Alsace's :27.3 final quarter.

To view the results from Mohawk's Thursday qualifying session, click the following link: Thursday Results - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers).

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