by Greg Blanchard, media/communications, Woodbine Entertainment Group

Toronto, ON — San Pail, who finished third in last November’s Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for 3-year-old colt trotters, returned to the racetrack on Friday morning (Jan. 25) at Mohawk Racetrack and turned in a sharp 3-1/4 length qualifying win for Randy Waples in 2:02.3 over a “good” track which was rated three seconds off.

The now 4-year-old gelded son of San Pellegrino is co-owned and trained by Rodney Hughes of Dunsford, Ontario, who drove the horse throughout much of last season.

The pair picked their spots in the Ontario Sires Stakes program and won a C$40,000 Gold elimination on June 26 at Kawartha Downs. Hughes handed over the lines to WEG veteran Randy Waples in early October and he drove the colt in his final five starts of the year, including his third-place finish behind Arch Madness in the C$300,000 Super Final on November 10.

San Pail is also co-owned by Glenn Van Camp of Port Perry, Ontario.

Also victorious on Friday morning was the 8-year-old gelding Stiletto, who is now less than C$40,000 away from C$1 million in career earnings. He was driven to a 2:00 tally by Rick Zeron and was on the list for making back-to-back breaks at Woodbine.

Quail Seelster, another recent graduate of the OSS program, took her split for Luc Ouellette in 2:00 while last year’s Battle Of Waterloo finalist, Doctor J Holiday, was also a winner for co-owner, trainer and driver Joe Hudon.

Other winners from Friday morning’s session at Mohawk included Shaws Creek Maddy (1:59), They Call Me Cash (2:01), Extreme Three (1:58.1) and Equinox Seelster (2:02).