Intriguing Friday qualifiers for trotting royalty
by Melissa Keith
There were five qualifiers for trotters on the morning of Friday (Sept. 12) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and the latter three saw returning stars take their non-wagering prep races with ease.
The 2024 O’Brien older trotting horse of the year Logan Park (6, 1:49.2m; $1,636,140) won his qualifier in 1:55.2, trotting his last quarter in :26.3 for a comfortable two-length victory over 3-year-olds Fadeaway Hanover (second) and Emoticon Legacy (third).
It was the 7-year-old Archangel—Rite Outa The Park gelding’s first charted mile since his Aug. 22 Maple Leaf Trot elimination, in which he finished sixth. Doug McNair was back in the sulky behind the Rob Fellows trainee, who was also voted Canada’s top older male trotter in 2023.
Three-year-old filly Monalishi (2, 1:52.2s; $533,353) won her qualifier convincingly in 1:55.3 for driver James MacDonald and trainer Blake MacIntosh. The daughter of Green Manalishi S—Pretty Phylly G previously broke stride and was unable to get back involved in her Sept. 5 Q mile at Mohawk, but redeemed herself with a going-away win by 10½ expanding lengths over Bella Cavalla on Friday.
The 2024 O’Brien 2-year-old trotting filly of the year had been scratched sick from Ontario Sires Stakes Gold leg 3 at Grand River Raceway on July 16.
Monalishi’s most recent pari-mutuel race was at Yonkers Raceway on June 27, when the 2024 Peaceful Way champ captured the Grade 3 New York New York Mile division in 1:55.2 for Yannick Gingras.
The most intriguing mile of the morning was undoubtedly that of Ardonne (2, 1:52.4s; $256,300).
The 2-year-old son of Tactical Landing—Burberry was the fastest of his gait, taking his qualifier in 1:54.3 by three and three-quarter lengths over 3-year-old filly Th Monica, who was gaining slightly on him down the stretch.
As the only horse qualifying for Campbell Hall, NY-based trainer Megan Scran and the only drive for her partner, Scott Zeron, thoughts naturally turned to Saturday (Sept. 20) and Ardonne’s potential appearance in the Grade 1 Mohawk Million. Last month, the colt captured his elimination and equaled the stakes record in winning the final of Mohawk’s Grade 1 William Wellwood Memorial.
Standardbred Canada reported that Zeron said Ardonne’s owner, Phillip Steinberg of Weston, FL, had acquired the Mohawk Million slot originally purchased by Brad Grant. Earlier this year, Grant told HRU that slots he had originally owned had brought good luck to the subsequent buyers who used them to enter horses in the big race.
As previously reported in HRU, owner/driver Gino Toscani had listed his 2025 Mohawk Million slot on the onGait standardbred sale site. It was the first occasion of one of the $50,000 (Can.) slots being made available in a public online auction.
Toscani’s Mohawk Million slot sold for a final bid of $57,000 (U.S.) to David McElrath of Brookfield, OH. McElrath bought two trotting colts at the 2024 Lexington sale: $80,000 yearling Silverstein (Chapter Seven—Shining Brightly) and the $45,000 Requiem (Muscle Hill—Ostrich Blue Chip). Both Silverstein (2, 1:53.2m; $137,000) and Requiem (2, 1:54.2m; $49,500) are now registered to owner Dark Horse Farm LLC of Vienna, OH, and have been racing at The Red Mile for trainer Matthew Burkholder and driver Dave Miller.
Slot holders must declare their Mohawk Million horses by noon on Monday (Sept. 15).
