Anndrovette (Tim Tetrick) finished second in a 1:53.3 mile at The Meadowlands behind another multiple stakes-winner, Somwherovrarainbow (Brian Sears), who is new to the aged pacing mare ranks this year.
Joe De Fino (Mike Simons) was the leader in Friday's fifth qualifier through fractions of :28.1, :56.2 and 1:25.2 before the four-year-old Joe Holloway-trained Somwherovrarainbow converted from the pocket to earn her second straight qualifying win. Anndrovette, who sat fifth for most of the mile, finished two and three-quarter lengths behind for trainer P.J. Fraley. Both mares came home in :28-seconds flat.
Anndrovette is expected to make her first stakes start in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, which begins on Friday, March 21 at Yonkers Raceway. The $2.5 million earner finished second by just a half-length in the 2013 and 2012 series finals.
"It's going to be the same schedule that we had the last two years with her," co-owner Jeff Bamond told Trot Insider in an interview after the O'Brien Awards earlier this month. "She'll be up here [in Canada] for the Milton and Roses Are Red. She starts off at the Matchmaker at Yonkers."
Anndrovette won last year's Roses Are Red Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack in a 1:48 career-best and Canadian record clocking.
"The race I'd like to win up here maybe would be the Milton, only because we had some tough luck two years in a row in that race and we won the Roses Are Red two years. I'd like to win the Milton Stakes."
Another mare making her seasonal debut for Fraley and Bamond Racing was Breeders Crown championShelliscape (David Miller), who closed from seventh in :26.4 to finish third behind Ron Burke trainees Hang Ten (Burke) and Bettor B Lucky (Yannick Gingras) in a 1:53.4 mile. Ontario Sires Stakes graduate Mach It So (Tetrick) also closed in :26 and change from the backfield to finish fifth in his aged debut for team Fraley.
Windy City Pace champion Word Power (Scott Zeron) posted the fastest mile of the session as he romped to a 13-1/2 length victory in 1:52.2 from post 10 for trainer Larry Remmen and Milton, Ontario owner Brad Grant. Fraley trainees Validus Deo (Sears) and Krispy Apple (Tetrick) were second and third.
Other qualifying winners at The Meadowlands were: Marion Mayflower (1:58.2), Glowngold (1:57.2), Likeabatoutahell (1:55.4), Blush Hanover (1:55.3), and Ultimate Beachboy (1:54.4).