by Melissa Keith

The most hotly-anticipated qualifier of the season took place Friday (May 3) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. While it was the second-fastest of nine that morning, it did not unfold as a continuation of one star’s winning ways. Sylvia Hanover (p, 3, 1:48.1m; $1,443,524), Canada’s 2023 Somebeachsomewhere O’Brien Horse of the Year, ended up fourth in the eighth qualifier of the day.

Silver Label and driver Doug McNair settled in early for a winning pocket trip, following fast-leaving leader Bob Loblaw, in line to Sylvain Filion. Hudson Standardbred’s Macho Phil sat third, ahead of his famous stablemate, who waited in single-file sixth for her cue from regular driver Bob McClure. Silver Label was first to exit the pylons for the stretch drive and draw away by three expanding lengths ahead of next-best Macho Phil, driven by Jonathan Drury.

Sylvia Hanover (Always B Miki—Shyaway) closed three-wide in the fastest last quarter, pacing home in a sharp :25.4 behind third-place finisher Bob Loblaw. Fractions were :28.3, :57.2, 1:25.4, and 1:52 for the mile over a fast racing surface.

The 4-year-old mare had recently trained at Woodbine Mohawk Park, leading to speculation about when the 2023 Dan Patch and O’Brien 3-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year would make her debut in the older distaff pacing ranks. This year, she is sustained for Mohawk’s Roses Are Red (eliminations June 7) and Milton Stakes (eliminations Sept. 7), with no other major races yet on her schedule.

Friday (May 3) afternoon, trainer Shawn Steacy answered a few questions about Sylvia Hanover’s progress and the season ahead.

“Not too much to say yet,” he told HRU. “She qualified very well today, did everything she was asked and finished within herself. She has grown slightly and continues to mature. Bob [McClure] did a really good job today, qualifying the way we like.”

McClure had been sidelined early in the year by a Jan. 15 snowmobile accident. He returned to driving March 22, ahead of Sylvia Hanover’s comeback. He has driven the champion mare in every start of her 22-race career, and all but her first lifetime qualifier.

The fourth-place result in Sylvia Hanover’s first charted mile of 2024 raised no concerns with her trainer. The mare finished third to Sweet Amira and Steacy stablemate Front Page Story in her first 2023 qualifier, a 1:54.1 mile last May 12 at Mohawk.

“She is going to need another qualifier or two to be ready, as she will fit so tough [a classification] when she starts racing again,” said Steacy. “Nothing is set in stone yet. We will let her tell the story, and it will be on her terms. It’s a long year ahead.”

Stablemate Macho Phil’s (p, 3, 1:50.4s; $160,624) qualifying result impressed Steacy as “really good.” The 5-year-old son of Shanghai Phil—Hazel is also owned by Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, QC.

“He looks like he’s rounding back to the form he had at 3,” said Steacy. “We’re hoping he keeps trending in the right direction.”

Macho Phil was an OSS Gold winner at Mohawk on July 2, 2022. The homebred stallion is also being pointed toward his first start of the year.