The renowned duo of Wheels On Fire and driver Doug McNair came together once again during a qualifying session on Friday, Mar. 1 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. This marked their first charted performance since the well-documented incident during the 2023 Mohawk Gold Cup last June.
Remarkably, this qualifying outing served as the inaugural appearance for McNair and Wheels On Fire as a partnership. Since owner Brad Grant entrusted the talented nine-year-old pacer, son of Somebeachsomewhere - Ab Fab, to trainer Richard Moreau just before the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020, the duo had been a picture of consistency. Notably, there was a sequence of 111 races between Wheels On Fire's recent qualifiers and his last ones in 2019.
Taking the reins on Friday, McNair guided Wheels On Fire to the front in their assignment. The pacer responded admirably, with his competitors conceding. Noteworthy fractions of :30, :58.3, and 1:27.2 led to Wheels On Fire concluding strongly in :28, stopping the clock at 1:55.2.
Uncle Shank A, steered by James MacDonald, and Mamba, under Sylvain Filion's guidance, followed closely behind, just a half-length adrift.
Recognized as the 2021 O'Brien Award winner for Canada's Older Pacer of the Year, Wheels On Fire boasts an impressive record of 47-32-25 from 147 lifetime starts, accumulating earnings exceeding $1.1 million.