Mohawk Million, Metro Pace draws complete

Post positions were drawn this evening for the Mohawk Million and Metro Pace, which will headline another Grand Circuit star-studded harness racing Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park on September 25.

The Mohawk Million for two-year-old trotters features King Of The North, who earned a spot behind the gate as the winner of the $640,000 William Wellwood Memorial on September 11 for driver Mark MacDonald and trainer Ray Schnittker. The Walner-Check Me Out colt is less than a length shy of a perfect campaign and has drawn post position 2 for his eighth career start. He is owned by Schnittker Ward, Arden Homestead Stable, Nolamaura Racing and Steven Arnold.

The 10-horse field also includes the undefeated filly Venerable, who will start from post 9 following her most recent victory in the $392,000 Peaceful Way for trainer Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman. She’ll tote a 7-for-7 record into the contest and a bankroll that stands at $511,255.

Trainer Luc Blais and owner Serge Godin’s nom-de-racecourse, Determination, have a pair of entrants going postward in the rich affair. They’ll send out recent OSS Gold Series winner Star Power Hanover (post 1) and his stakes-winning stablemate Mischevious Rose (post 3).

The runner-up in the William Wellwood Memorial, Duly Resolved (post 8) and recent Kentucky Sires Stakes champion, Selfie Queen (post 10) also come in with solid resumes.

The $824,000 Metro Pace for two-year-old pacers has attracted a field of 12, including world record holder Caviart Camden, who has drawn post 9. Owned and bred by Caviart Farms, the Huntsville-Caviart Christa colt set a 1:48.3 world record in a leg of the Kentucky Championship Series at The Red Mile on August 24. The Tony Alagna trainee has three wins from six career starts and earnings of $53,200. Alagna campaigned last year’s 35-1 upset winner in the Metro, Exploit, and will also send out Atlas Hanover (post 1) and Nautical Hanover (post 10).

Battle of Waterloo champion Betterhavemymoney will start from post 5 for trainer Nick Gallucci and Millar Farms. The homebred Betterthancheddar-Whosluckierthanme gelding has never missed a pay cheque through seven career starts and boasts the highest earnings in the field with a bankroll totalling $288,162. His four wins also include a pair of Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions.

Bob Loblaw, who nosed out Betterhavemymoney in the Nassagaweya Stakes, has drawn post 2 for Mohawk’s track announcer Ken Middleton, who trains and co-owns the homebred Sunshine Beach-Lady Marina gelding with David Walls, James Grant and Starting Centre Stables. Bob Loblaw is a two-time winner from nine starts so far in his career, with $107,927 banked in purses.

The field also includes the top three finishers in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship: winner True Blue Lindy (post 8), who was recently acquired by trainer Jeffrey Cullipher; runner-up Wearinmysixshooter (post 6), one of two Nancy Takter trainees in the field; and third-place finisher Fourever Boy (post 4) from the Tim Twaddle stable. True Blue Lindy, a son of Always B Miki out of Think Pink, started his career at Mohawk and counts the Dream Maker Series final among his five wins. From seven starts, he’s finished no worse than second and has earned $276,372.

The complete fields are listed below in post position order.

$1 million Mohawk Million

1. Star Power Hanover — by Wheeling N Dealin
2. King Of The North — by Walner
3. Mischevious Rose — by Muscle Mass
4. Valentina Blu — by Chapter Seven
5. Southwind Domino — by Walner
6. Dover In Motion — by Dover Dan
7. The Mighty Hill — by What The Hill
8. Duly Resolved — by Resolve
9. Venerable — by Walner
10. Selfie Queen — by Muscle Hill

$824,000 Metro Pace

1. Atlas Hanover — by Captaintreacherous
2. Bob Loblaw — by Sunshine Beach
3. Many Moons — by Sweet Lou
4. Fourever Boy — by Sweet Lou
5. Betterhavemymoney — by Betterthancheddar
6. Wearinmysixshooter — by Captaintreacherous
7. Ridinlikeyastoleit — by Sunshine Beach
8. True Blue Lindy — by Always B Miki
9. Caviart Camden — by Huntsville
10. Nautical Hanover — by Captaintreacherous
11. Monte Miki — by Always B Miki
12. Market Based — by Sweet Lou

From Standardbred Canada