Undefeated Venerable wins fiery $1,000,000 Mohawk Million

After an all-out war in the opening half, Venerable emerged with the lead and resisted a game challenger in the lane to take the $1,000,000 Mohawk Million for two-year-old harness racing trotters on Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The Mighty Hill (James MacDonald) took an initial lead after firing away from the start before Duly Resolved (Paul Macdonnell) flew by him going into the first turn. Venerable, ranging up from post nine, declined a seat and drove on two-wide for Dave Miller as Selfie Queen (Dexter Dunn) battled on to her outside in a three-across fight for the front. The latter broke stride while passing the quarter mile pole in :27.1, and Southwind Domino (Louis-Philippe Roy) joined the fray second-over on the backstretch.

Venerable hit the top nearing three-eighths, and Miller immediately got to work on a :56.3 breather to the half. Longshot Southwind Domino persisted first-up while entering the far turn, but Miller remained calm in the bike as he backed the tempo down further to a 1:26.1 three-quarter clocking. Duly Resolved found a way out of the pocket as Southwind Domino backed up at headstretch, and he hunted down the leader. Duly Resolved surged dramatically in the last 1/16th of a mile, but Venerable reached the finish in time to triumph in 1:54.2.

Duly Resolved (Andrew McCarthy) missed by a head. Valentia Blu charged from the backfield and took show. The win price was $3.90.

“It’s tremendous, a great, great feeling,” Miller said post-race. “I can’t explain how game and tough she is. Her performance on the track is what shows it. She really (dug in).

“My game plan was to try and get some cover (that didn’t work). She got a pretty soft middle half and her heart and her guts got her to the wire.”

VENERABLE REPLAY

Venerable has now won eight times in as many starts and surpassed $1,000,000 in career earnings with the victory. Nifty Norman trains the Walner filly for David Mc Duffee of Rye, Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, Paul Bordogna of Fair Lawn, and Steven Arnold of Purchase.

“They don’t get old when you race for a million dollars,” Mc Duffee said with a laugh. “She’s been great right from the get go, never disappointed yet. There aren’t many races for a million, so this was the right place to go for her. Going against the boys is the frosting on the cake and it puts her right up there.”

The filly won three straight New Jersey Sire Stakes contests to begin her career, including the series final. She then scored in the Jim Doherty Memorial, the Kentucky Championship Series, and won her Peaceful Way elimination and the final. Miller has steered the filly in all of her career starts and qualifiers.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink