BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-breds Mohawk Trail and Dreaming of Abba, who were first and third respectively in the $100,000 Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf at Tampa Bay Downs on March 30, are set to face off again Saturday at Monmouth Park in the $100,000 Miss Liberty. Eight fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older have been entered for the mile-and-a-sixteenth event on the turf.
In one start since winning the Distaff Turf, Mohawk Trail was less than three lengths shy of winner Dynamic Pricing when fifth in the Grade 3 Beaugay going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the inner turf during the Belmont at Big A meet on May 4. That was her first loss in three races having won an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming going a mile on the synthetic at Turfway Park on Feb. 14.
A graded stakes-winner of the 2023 Ontario Colleen (G3) at Woodbine, Mohawk Trail has six wins, two seconds and two thirds in 19 career starts while earning $351,733 for Art Neuhedel, John Ballantyne and Daryl Shaw’s NBS Stable. NBS purchased Mohawk Trail as a yearling for $180,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale.
Mohawk Trail is by Pioneerof the Nile out of Iroquois Girl, by Indian Charlie and was bred in Florida by Westbury Stables LLC.
She has post six and jockey Antonio Gallardo.
Dreaming of Abba returned to win her only race since the Distaff Turf, taking a first level allowance race going a mile on the Tampa Bay Downs grass course on April 19.
The 4-year-old daughter of Fast Anna is trained by Kathleen O’Connell for breeder Carolin Von Rosenberg, DVM for whom she has earned $127,125. A winner of three of 12 career starts with four seconds and three thirds, Dreaming of Abba is out of Stellar Strength, by Gone West.
Sonny Leon has the return mount and they have drawn the inside post one.
Mohawk Trail and Dreaming of Abba will try to become the first Florida-bred winner of the Miss Liberty since Frank Carl Calabrese’s Romacaca took the 2011 edition.
Others set for the Miss Liberty are Fun With Flags (Ire) with jockey Samy Camacho named to ride, Damaso and jockey Paco Lopez, Precious Avary will have Silvestre Gonzalez in the irons, Spaliday with Samuel Marin up, Jorge Ruiz has the assignment on Joyful Lass and Joe Bravo rides Mission of Joy.
Return to the May 23 issue of Wire to Wire
