Wellwood, Peaceful Way elims up next at Mohawk

MILTON, August 18, 2022 – Rookie harness racing trotters will take the spotlight Saturday (Aug. 20) at Woodbine Mohawk Park for the eliminations of the William Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful Way.

The Saturday evening program will feature five elimination races, including three for the Wellwood Memorial, which offers a slot in the Mohawk Million to the horse that wins the final.

A group of 25 two-year-old colt and gelding trotters have been split into three $30,000 eliminations for the Wellwood Memorial (Race 4,7,9).

Walner colt Winners Bet is the 9-5 morning-line choice in the first elimination. The Domenico Cecere trainee arrives at Mohawk off a maiden-breaking 1:55 victory in a division of the Kindergarten at The Meadowlands on August 5. ​ Dexter Dunn will steer the $200,000 Lexington Select Yearling Sale graduate.

The first split will also see John Bax trainee Lowry (Father Patrick) return to Mohawk after a pair of starts in Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) competition. The gelding won a leg of the Millard Farms Series in his last start at Mohawk and reunites with driver Chris Christoforou.

Lowry will be the first of five Bax trainees to compete in the Wellwood eliminations.

The second elimination offers an intriguing matchup between Millard Farms Series winner Lukes Bar (Bar Hopping) and Kentucky Sires Stakes star French Wine (Bar Hopping).

Dave Menary trainee Lukes Bar dominated in the second leg and final of the Millard Farms to improve his rookie record to two for three. The gelding teams with leading driver James MacDonald, who returned from a recent injury just in time to drive the Menary trainee in the Millard final.

French Wine has been hopping around North America with great success recently. The Julie Miller trained colt has won three starts in a row, posting victories in a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes contest and two KYSS divisions. Andy Miller will take his usual position behind French Wine.

Team Miller captured the inaugural Mohawk Million in 2020 with Venerate and could find themselves back in the lucrative race should French Wine capture the Wellwood.

The third elimination is headlined by early Ontario Sires Stakes star Osceola (Muscle Mass). The Gregg McNair trainee has won back-to-back OSS Gold divisions, including a 1:56.1 score last Friday at Mohawk. Doug McNair guides the youngster for his father.

OSS Gold winner Snowpiercer (Muscle Mass) will also compete in the third elimination. The Bax trainee was upset in last Friday’s Gold leg, but like many of the starters was racing for the first-time in a month. Paul MacDonell, who has won the Wellwood twice, will drive Snowpiercer.

The top-three finishers, plus a fourth-place finisher drawn by lot, will advance to the rich Wellwood Memorial final on August 27.

The Peaceful Way eliminations will see a pair of seven-horse $30,000 divisions contested.

Tactical Planner (Tactical Landing), who scored a 67-1 upset in the Pure Ivory Series final, will lead the first elimination from the rail for trainer Dustin Jones and his son, driver Tyler Jones. The filly broke her maiden in the Pure Ivory final.

The first split also has a pair of starters from the Bax Stable, who send out four across the two divisions. Proud To Be Lindy (Muscle Hill) and Sound Advice (Walner) both recently ventured down to Lexington for Bax to compete in a KYSS leg.

The second elimination is loaded with talent, including two-time OSS Gold winner Righteous Resolve (Resolve). Another Bax trainee, the filly recently posted a near three-lengths score in a Gold division on August 11 for her third win in four starts.

Righteous Resolve will face her toughest test to date on Saturday, as the Tony Alagna trained Heart On Fire (Father Patrick) is the 8-5 morning-line choice. The filly enters off back-to-back wins at The Meadowlands, including a 1:54.1 Kindergarten division win on August 5.

The top-five finishers from each Peaceful Way elimination advance to the final on August 27. The Peaceful Way eliminations are carded as Races 3 and 6.

A free past performance program page for Saturday’s card will be available Thursday afternoon for download at WoodbineMohawkPark.com.

Post time for Saturday’s 11-race card is 7 p.m.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Mark McKelvie, for Woodbine Mohawk Park