Mohawk hosts first two-year-olds of 2024

Darlenes Angel (Betterthancheddar) won the first two-year-old race at Woodbine Mohawk Park this season on Friday (Jun. 14) in her career debut.

The filly, leaving from the inside for Trevor Henry, performed a give-and-go around Wickedpace (Jody Jamieson) just after the quarter in :27.4 to take over. Darlenes Angel led to the half in :58.2 and took on the first-over Baroness (Sylvain Filion) to three-quarters in 1:28.3.

Baroness proved little threat, backing off in the stretch, but Wickedpace stayed with the leader from the pocket. Wickedpace whittled down the lead in the final eighth of a mile, but Darlenes Angel had it well in hand and won by a length in 1:55.3.

Wickedpace was a clear second-best. Saddlebags (Louis-Philippe Roy) finished third.

DARLENES ANGEL REPLAY

The Victor Puddy-trained Darlenes Angel was a $14,000 London Classic purchase. Puddy co-owns the filly with Michael Marocco of Livonia and Lloyd Stone of Portland (ON).

Also on the card, Tactical Strike (Tactical Landing) held off 2023 Peaceful Way champ Drawn Impression in her return. Tactical Strike led all the way for Filion and pulled away by two-and-a-half in mid-stretch. Drawn Impression (Roy) soared late in a :26.4 last quarter but was a length-and-a-half back in second. Tactical Stike, trained by Desiree Jones for Gino Toscani, is now three-for-five on the season.

TACTICAL STRIKE REPLAY

The next card at Woodbine Mohawk Park is North America Cup Night on Saturday, Jun. 15. More than $2.1 million in stakes purses are up for grabs on the 13-race card beginning at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink