by Greg Gangle, WEG Communications

Campbellville, ON — San Pail, the three-time defending Maple Leaf Trot winner, will not line up behind the starting gate in the 2012 edition on July 21 at Mohawk, according to trainer Rod Hughes.

Following his fifth-place finish in his June 22 qualifying event at Mohawk (timed in 1:58.3), San Pail did not put in the performance Hughes was hoping for.

“When Randy (Waples) was pulling him up after the qualifier, I noticed that his left-hind boot was down and that’s never a good sign,” Hughes said. “So he hit himself in that area at some point of the mile. I also noticed that he was on a bit of a line down the stretch. So we took him to Dr. Terry Ruch’s and we found a slight injury in that area, so he’s not 100 percent. Based off that, we can’t go to the Maple Leaf Trot.”

The winner of $2,987,294 has banked 51 victories from 111 career starts for Hughes Stable Inc. and breeder Glenn Van Camp.

“Of course, we really want to be there this year, but we have to do what’s best for ‘Pail,’” Hughes said. “If he’s not 100 percent, we won’t race him. This year’s group of older trotter looks very deep in talent, in my opinion, and it should be quite a race. We’ll be watching from the sidelines.”

The 8-year-old son of San Pellegrino has a record of 2-2-0 from four starts this season. His last pari-mutuel race came in the Open Trot on April 23 at Woodbine.