First Canadian baby races of 2024

Woodbine Mohawk Park featured Canadian harness racing’s first two-year-old baby races of 2024 during its session of qualifiers on Saturday, June 1.

Exquisite Taste (Resolve) showed off her exquisite gait in the first qualifier, closing in :28.4 for driver and co-owner Louis-Philippe Roy to pick off Macthenight (Tyler Jones) and win by a length in 2:02.2. Tempo-setter Southwind Grenade (Gino Toscani) stayed for third.

A $34,000 London Classic Yearling Sale purchase, Exquisite Taste is trained by Eric Nadeau for Roy (as Louis-Philippe Roy Racing) and Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy, Que. Glengate Farms and Ariel Stables are the breeders.

Southwind Francoo (Muscle Hill) made the front early (:33.2) in his qualifying debut for driver Sylvain Filion, sat patiently behind a rated Foresworn (James MacDonald) through cautious middle fractions (1:05 and 1:35.2) and then powered home in :28.2 to win his qualifying debut in 2:04.2. Bright Green (Roy) closed very well to finish a head back in second with Foresword not far back in third.

Bred by Southwind Farms, Southwind Francoo was a $12,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase of owner-trainer Gaetan Hebert of Dundas, Ont.

On the pace, Seas The Day (Your Nemesis) made every call a winning one for driver Bob McClure. After clearing to the top through a :31.1 first panel, Seas The Day laid out fractions of 1:02.3 and 1:33.4 before closing in :28.3 to hold off Stylish Stella (Tyler Borth) by a length in 2:02.2. Baroness (J. MacDonald) rounded out the top trio.

Seas The Day is a homebred owned by trainer Stephen Gillard of Innerkip, Ont. along with his wife, Marilyn.

QUALIFIER LIVESTREAM REPLAY

For complete qualifier results, click here.

From Standardbred Canada