by Karen Briggs, WEG media department

Campbellville, ON — Breeders Crown champion Stylish Artist was in fine form on Friday morning (May 23) as she went wire-to-wire and easily won her qualifying mile at Mohawk by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:56.1.

“She’s good gaited and sound, and ready to start racing,” said trainer and co-owner Mark Steacy of the 3-year-old daughter of Artsplace, who was driven by Jack Moiseyev in the first of eight Friday qualifiers. “She raced late last year, so we gave her as much rest as we could. She was off about three months.

“She’s going to need an overnight (race) or two before we tackle the stakes. We’ll see if she’s ready for the Fan Hanover — it’s really early this year.”

Stylish Artist also went a qualifying mile last week at Mohawk with Steacy in the bike, pacing in 1:56.2 and finishing second to Shake That Junk (Jody Jamieson). She earned just shy of $500,000 in her rookie season.

Steacy also sent 4-year-old Hana Hanover postward in the sixth qualifying race, where she finished second to Luck Of Michelle, pacing the mile in 1:55.2. Randy Waples did the driving duties.

It was the second qualifier as well for Hana Hanover, a daughter of Western Hanover who made her last start in November’s $500,000 Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands, finishing fourth behind Artcotic. The brown mare has earned $557,386 for owners David Reid, David McDonald, Stan Klemencic, and Dr Malcolm G Man Son Hing.

“She hasn’t really come back yet,” said Steacy. “She’s kind of a non-tryer till you get her in a race. Then she gets fired up. She raced hard last year, too, so we’ll give her some time to get back in the groove. It looks like she was just okay today, but we’ll put her in a couple of overnights here at Mohawk and then look ahead from there.”

Other qualifying winners this morning included: Counsel (2:00.2, Roger Mayotte/Roger Mayotte), Jolie Jacqueline (1:58.3, Rick Zeron/Marcel Bouvier), Go Get Her (1:57.2, Paul MacDonell/Mark Austin), Suzie’s Magic (1:59.1, Chris Christoforou/Tony O’Sullivan), Single Pans Reflex (1:59.2, Chris Christoforou/Rene Laarman), and the veteran Snazzy Millie, who finished 8-3/4 lengths ahead of Alpha Entura in 1:56.1 for Christoforou and trainer Kevin O’Reilly.