Warrawee Needy romps in Big M qualifier

Prepping for an upcoming start in the opening round of the Aquarius Series for 4-year-old pacers on March 2 at the Meadowlands, Warrawee Needy romped to a 9 ¼-length win in 1:53.1 in a qualifier Thursday morning at the Big M. With the temperature in the high 20s and a brisk wind blowing, the track stewards gave a two-second allowance for the qualifying session.

This was the first appearance for the son of E Dee's Cam since finishing second on Nov. 10 in the $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final at Woodbine Racecourse. Warrawee Needy is currently in the hands of New York-based trainer Mark Ford while regular conditioner and co-owner Carl Jamieson remains at his winter base at Southern Oaks Training Center in Florida.

"He was a little late getting here; he didn't get here until late Tuesday night,” said Ford, who owns his own training center outside Goshen, N.Y. "But you don't have to worry about Carl's being tight so I'm sure he's ready to go.”

Warrawee Needy was directed through front-end fractions of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:26.2 in the qualifier by driver Mark MacDonald. Pacing a final panel of :26.4, Warrawee Needy easily out-distanced the competition.

"Mark said he went really good,” said Ford. "It was a pretty rough morning as the wind was blowing so hard and it was tough to get a real read on him. But this is a good horse; he seems like he is strong, fresh and ready to go.”

A 13-time winner in 28 career starts, Warrawee Needy brings a career bankroll of $833,918 into the 2013 campaign. Jamieson shares ownership with Thomas Kyron, Dr. Michael Wilson and Floyd Marshall. He took his career mark of 1:48.4 last September while capturing an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final at Mohawk.

Also returning to the racetrack in a Thursday qualifier was two-time Breeders Crown champion Anndrovette. Making her first start since winning last year's Open Mare Pace Oct. 27 at Woodbine, the 6-year-old daughter of Riverboat King had to settle for a second-place finish—by three-quarters of a length—to the Illinois-bred 4-year-old mare Fox Valley Hermia.

With her second Crown win, Anndrovette went past the $2-million mark in career earnings for owners Bamond Racing and Joseph Davino. She is trained by P.J. Fraley.

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