by Karen Briggs, WEG media

Toronto, ON — She has only been a 4-year-old for a few days now, but Mojo N The Morning is fresh off a pair of wins in December’s Ontario Sired Autumn Series, and trainer Frank Colville has her primed to take on a tough field of other 4-year-old mares in Monday’s (Jan. 5) C$25,000 opener of the Lifetime Dream Trotting Series.

The blaze-faced homebred daughter of Angus Hall didn’t start as a 2-year-old, but at three she failed to bring home a check only once in 19 starts. Little wonder then that she’s rated the 6-5 favorite in the first of three opening splits of the Lifetime Dream series (race one, post time 7:20 p.m.).

Mojo N The Morning may face a challenge, however, from Summerhill Abra, a Kadabra daughter who is riding a three-race winning streak — and will be fresh and raring to go after a month’s R&R. Patrick Hunt conditions the 5-2 second choice, who has drawn the advantageous post position two in the first race.

In the second Lifetime Dream event Monday night (race three, post time 8:02 p.m.), Kevin McMaster’s Duchessofnorthyork will be going up against a field of six other mares, including Margo Hall, a daughter of Kentucky sire Like A Prayer, who recently made her way back to the shedrow of Ted MacDonell, after a sojourn in the Bluegrass State. Margo Hall was second in her qualifier at Mohawk on December 12, but will be stepping onto the Woodbine oval for the first time on Monday night. She’s rated the 3-1 second choice, while Duchessofnorthyork is 5-2.

Frenchfrysnvinegar may be the dominant force in the third Lifetime Dream division (race four, post time 8:24 p.m.). Despite having drawn the outside post, the Angus Hall lass is likely to call on her front-end form to repeat recent successes in the Ontario Sired Autumn Series. Brian Lee trainee Glide Sally Glide may pose her biggest obstacle; since returning to Woodbine from her co-owner Doug Rideout’s barn in Indiana, she has racked up a win, two seconds, and a third, and will merit serious attention.

The second leg of the Lifetime Dream Series goes postward on Monday, January 12, with the C$54,000 (est.) final slated for January 19.