Mohawk Park heads big Grand Circuit Weekend

Harness Racing This Week: Canadian Pacing Derby final, Maple Leaf Trot, and Simcoe Stakes, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Milton, Ont. and Kindergarten Series leg, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: Grand Circuit racing will open this week on Thursday (Sept. 1) with the third leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. There will be a pair of $20,000 divisions for both colts and fillies of each gait.

Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday (Sept. 3) will offer the C$650,000 Canadian Pacing Derby final for older pacers, the C$610,000 Maple Leaf Trot for older trotters, the C$165,725 Simcoe for 3-year-old male trotters and a pair of divisions in the C$160,735 Simcoe for 3-year-old filly trotters.

Complete entries for The Meadowlands races are available at this link. Entries for the Mohawk races are available at this link.

Last Time: The aptly named Winner’s Bet (Walner) got up in the final strides to best stablemate International Man in the C$665,000 William Wellwood Memorial, held Saturday (Aug. 27) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and punched his ticket to the prestigious Mohawk Million.

If the Wellwood, for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings, is any indication of what’s in store for the Million, fans will want to circle Sept. 24 on their calendars.​​​

Speed was the name of the game early as Tuscan Prince, Dahlquist Hanover and Oh Look Magic slugged it out through an opening panel posted in :27.4. Tuscan Prince and Oh Look Magic continued their front-end throw-down in :56.1, as Dexter Dunn, in rein to Winner’s Bet, watched the action from in fourth.

As the field approached three-quarters, Winner’s Bet and International Man continued to gather momentum, setting up a stretch showdown between the Domenico Cecere trainees.

Winner’s Bet, on the outside, wore down a stubborn International Man, the latter a neck in front at the stretch call after a 1:25 three-quarters, to record a three-quarter length win in 1:54.1.

It was the third straight win for the brown colt, owned by Lindy Farms of Connecticut and Robert Rudolph, who launched his career with a third-place finish on June 30 followed by a second-place effort on July 22. Now, the rookie trotter will have the chance to deliver his connections an even bigger prize in the Mohawk Million.

Winner’s Bet earns an automatic berth, for free, into the race in four weeks. The other nine starting spots were purchased for C$100,000.

“It feels really good,” said Dunn. “Domenico is a good friend. I know how hard him and his team work to get his horses right for race day, so a result like that is a good feeling.”

Especially with a youngster still learning the game.

“He’s quite green still,” noted Dunn. “I was really happy with where we got away. We got a good trip after that and a great helmet to follow from Domenico’s other horse.”

Cecere was understandably pleased with the one-two finish.

“I can’t describe (the feeling). It’s unbelievable. I don’t know why, but I was very relaxed. They always show they are nice horses, and they have a lot of power. I was very confident. It’s fantastic. It’s unbelievable. You work hard and you get the result, it’s way better. He’s fantastic. We’ll keep him healthy as we can and keep doing the best job we can, and he will take care of us. He’s a nice colt and he’s still learning.”

Bred by S R F Stable, Winners Bet paid $7.20 to win.

Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website. For a list of 2022 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2022, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will once again be tracked on a points system (20-10-5 for the top three finishers in divisions/finals and 10-5-2 for the top three finishers in eliminations/legs). Winbak Farms is the sponsor for the 2022 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 8-27-22):

Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 741; 2. Tim Tetrick – 606; 3. Yannick Gingras – 503; 4. Todd McCarthy – 472; 5. David Miller – 355.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 473; 2. Tony Alagna – 450; 3. Ake Svanstedt – 349; 4. Nifty Norman – 271; 5. Marcus Melander – 231.

Owners: 1. David McDuffee – 138.4; 2. Schooner II Stable – 120; 3. Courant Inc. – 114; 4. Caviart Farms – 100.8; 5. Brad Grant – 94.8.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next week at Eldorado Scioto Downs, Woodbine Mohawk Park, and The Meadowlands. Scioto will feature the $200,000 Jim Ewart Memorial for older pacers and the $200,000 Charlie Hill Memorial for older trotters. Mohawk Park will host the Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old male and female pacers, the Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old male and female pacers and Milton eliminations for older female pacers. The Meadowlands features a leg of the Miss Versatility for older female trotters.

by Paul Ramlow, for the Grand Circuit