by Mark McKelvie, WEG Communications

Milton, ON — Canadian Pacing Derby champion Sintra returned to the track Friday morning (May 18) at Woodbine Mohawk Park for his first qualifier of 2018.

The sun was shining and the track was fast for the nine-race qualifying session. However, a strong wind played a big factor by helping the horses through the lane and making the backstretch journey a challenge.

The first qualifier of the morning saw Sintra make his 5-year-old debut. The Dave Menary trainee got away third with driver Jody Jamieson and would sit in that position until angling out just before three-quarters. In the stretch, Sintra immediately surged by his rivals and paced home strong in :25.2 for a 1:53.4 victory. The 5-year-old Magnum J, a winner of $313,106, finished a little over a length back in second.

Wind or no wind, Sintra was going to pace a big final quarter and looked fantastic in his return. The Menary student won nine of 19 starts last season and banked $522,472. Owned by Brad Gray, Michael Guerriero and Menary Racing Inc., Sintra comes into his 2018 season with 17 wins and $759,032 in career earnings.

The duo of Jamieson and Menary teamed up for two more victories during Friday’s qualifiers with a pair of Pepsi North America Cup eligible 3-year-olds.

The third qualifier saw the duo connect with Trump That, who went coast-to-coast in 1:55.1. The gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere was qualifying for the first time this season and is owned by Menary Racing Inc., Guerriero, Kenneth Ewen and Bruce Norris. Trump That had one win in eight starts last season, but did finish in the runner-up spot five times. His most notable runner-up finishes came in divisions of the Nassagaweya and Champlain Stakes.

Topville Olympian gave Jamieson and Menary their third win of the morning in the sixth qualifier. A gelded son of American Ideal, Topville Olympian leapfrogged from second to first in the second quarter and never looked back en route to a 1:55.3 score, pacing home in :26.2. The Menary trainee had a strong rookie campaign with two wins and eight top-three finishes in 10 starts. He finished his season with a third place finish in the New York Sires Stakes championship.

Topville Olympian now has two qualifying wins this season. He is owned by Menary Racing Inc., Billy Joe Timmins, Anthony Timmins and Crawford Farms Racing.

Sticking with sophomore pacers, the eighth qualifier saw Kendall Seelster turn in a solid 1:54 victory for driver Randy Waples and trainer Paul Reid. A daughter of Shadow Play, Kendall Seelster was qualifying for the second consecutive week. Her first outing was an easy mile along the pylons, but Friday she did it all on the front-end and finished up in :27.2 for the victory. Owned by 1187422 Ontario Inc., Kendall Seelster had an incredible rookie season, winning four of 11 starts, finishing top-three in 10 starts and earning $365,011.

Kendall Seelster could make her season’s debut in next Saturday’s (May 26) first Ontario Sires Stakes Gold leg at Western Fair.

Here is the complete list of Friday’s qualifying winners. For the full charted results, click here.

Q1 (Pace): Sintra – Jamieson/Menary – 1:53.4
Q2 (Trot): Levitation – McNair/Alagna – 1:58.3
Q3 (Pace): Trump That – Jamieson/Menary – 1:55.1
Q4 (Trot): Heineken Seelster – McClure/Lindsey – 1:58.4
Q5 (Pace): Kloof Street – Saftic/Adams – 1:56.3
Q6 (Pace): Topville Olympian – Jamieson/Menary – 1:55.3
Q7 (Trot): Wanna Hall – Roy/Coleman – 1:59.1
Q8 (Pace): Kendall Seelster – Waples/Reid – 1:54
Q9 (Trot): Sorceress Seelster – S. Wray/J. Wray – 1:57.4