Stars post big efforts in Big M qualifiers

While expected divisional rivals Sportswriter and Malicious were tangling in a qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack Thursday morning, defending Breeders Crown champion All Speed Hanover was on the track at the Meadowlands, with the sophomore son of Cam's Card Shark scoring a 2 1/4-length victory in 1:52. Ron Pierce was in the sulky for trainer Noel Daley and owners Adam Victor & Son Stable and John Fielding. 

 

Also qualifying Thursday at the Big M was Pilgrims Taj, the 2009 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion who also won the Breeders Crown final for 2-year-old colt trotters. With Mike Lachance driving for trainer Monte Gelrod, Pilgrims Taj sat patiently in third until approaching the three-quarters, going on to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:57.2. It was the first appearance of the year for the son of Broadway Hall.

 

Break The Bank K, another contender among the 3-year-old colt trotter division, was a 4 1/4-length qualifying winner in 1:56.1 for trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer. It was much different on the 3-year-old filly trotter side as Costa Rica, making her third qualifying appearance of 2010 Thursday, had the unfortunate luck of making a break at the opening quarter and finishing sixth. Pierce was in the bike for trainer Jimmy Takter.

 

Down-Under sensation Auckland Reactor, within striking distance of making his North American parri-mutuel debut, romped to a 14 1/2-length win in 1:51.2. Although Brian Sears is expected to drive the 6-year-old son of Mach Three, because the driver was at Mohawk qualifying Sportswriter, trainer Kelvin Harrison turned to John Campbell for the morning session. Campbell left with Auckland Reactor and set fractions of :28, :56.1 and 1:23.3 before closing out the mile with a last stanza of :27.4.