Captains Quarters, the Metro Pace champion, has embarked on a road to become another Canadian classic. The colt, who qualified for the North America Cup, won his qualification at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, May 6.
After an hour-long delay, the five-race qualification series on Monday morning began. In the second race, three-year-old Captains Quarters, a fast-pacing colt, lined up behind the gate with the intention of making a clean finish after hooking up with another starter in his season's opening qualifying round one week prior.
Captains Quarters, ridden by regular reinsman Jody Jamieson, righted the ship and led the foursome through fractions of :29.4,:59.2, and 1:26.4 on his way to a 1:53 triumph. Three other sophomore colts trailed after him. Bettin again lagged behind the group through the stretch as multiple Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots winner Like A Glove and Nassagaweya Stakes runner-up Calicojack Hanover, both eligible for the Cup, matched the winner's final quarter time of 26.1.
Under Herbie Holland's guidance, the Captaintreacherous-Prescient Beauty colt finished in the top three in two Nassagaweya and Champlain Stakes divisions during his five runs last year, compiling a 2-1-2 rookie record. His season-ending 1:49.3 victory in the $970,000 Metro Pace helped him surpass the half-million dollar mark in bankroll for Michigan owner Rich Stiles and garnered him a nomination for the O'Brien Award.
According to TROT Magazine's Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, Captains Quarters was assessed as the 8-1 fourth choice. He is also qualified for the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes that came before.
In addition, Jamieson won her second qualifying of the year with Sweet Amira, a four-year-old pacing mare, by prevailing off a pocket trip in an 8-1/2-length romp in 1:53.3. The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner, a daughter of Sweet Lou out of Bolt Of Thunder, is trained by Chantal Mitchell for her Michigan owners, Lindsey and Connie Rankin, and has earned over a quarter of a million dollars. She has qualified for the Milton Stakes at Mohawk and the Roses Are Red.
In her season's opening qualifying session, three-year-old filly Tactical Strike proved to be the morning's fastest winner on the trot, clocking in at 1:56.3 for owner/driver Gino Toscani and trainer Desiree Jones, who also finished in a final frame of :28.1. The Tactical Landing-Sorceress Seelster filly is still eligible for the Casual Breeze, Simcoe, and Elegantimage Grand Circuit stakes at Mohawk in the late summer. The horse Indy Be Quick, who has won two OSS races, trailed 1-1/2 lengths back.