by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Campbellville, ON — Two of the WEG circuit’s top sophomore trotters faced off in the first of six qualifiers on a gray Thanksgiving morning (Oct. 12) at Mohawk.

Jeff Gillis trainee Federal Flex (Jody Jamieson) put in his first charted mile since finishing sixth in the September 5 Simcoe Stakes. The Muscles Yankee colt led the field through the early fractions before being overtaken by John Kopas pupil Raising Rachel (Jack Moiseyev), who went on to win by a length in 1:56. Federal Flex remained second, and Illusionsndreams stepped up for third.

Raising Rachel, who has earned $425,996 this season, was second by a nose to rival Windsong Soprano in the September 23 Buckette in Delaware, Ohio, but made a break in her Kentucky Filly Futurity elimination on October 2 and then was a vet scratch from the Bluegrass on October 9.

I Wanna Race scored for Jamieson in the second qualifying tilt, front-stepping to a five length victory in 1:58. The 3-year-old son of Camluck is owned and trained by Scott Horner in partnership with brother Clay. He won his last outing on September 13 at Mohawk.

The 2-year-old trotting filly Isthatallyagot (Anthony MacDonald) employed a perfect pocket trip to triumph in the third qualifier by 1-1/2 lengths over Grandtourino (Luc Ouellette). The winning time was 2:00. Isthatallyagot, a daughter of Southwind Lustre, is trained by Jim MacDonald for owner Terry Hunter, who purchased her for a modest $2,400 and has since taken home $90,237 in purses.

Redington Shores, an 8-year-old trotting son of Pine Chip, front-stepped to victory in the fourth qualifying contest for Mike Saftic, in 1:58.2. Owned by Trish Foulk, Redington Shores relocated to the shedrow of trainer Ryan Maxwell in September.

The fifth qualifier went to Notable Beauty, a 3-year-old pacing lass trained and co-owned by Alan Fair and driven Monday morning by Anthony MacDonald. She paced her mile in 1:56.3, holding off a challenge from Warrawee Koine (Mike Saftic) to win by a head. Notable Beauty’s last start was in an O.S.S. Grassroots event at Hiawatha Horse Park on September 10.

Trainer Ryan Maxwell racked up a second qualifying victory when 6-year-old Angus Hall son Ericskarri (Steve Condren) pocket-rode behind Flamewalker (Roger Mayotte) and angled out to win by a head in 1:59.1, in the final session of the morning. PVC Management owns the gelding, who has earned $242,298 in 56 career starts.