MILTON, August 23, 2022 – The annual late-summer Grand Circuit season at Woodbine Mohawk Park is set to kick-off this Friday and Saturday.
The Casual Breeze Stakes, plus a pair of Opens, will launch the busy weekend on Friday, while the William Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful Way finals will be the headline events on a Saturday that includes the Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations, Nassagaweya and Eternal Camnation.
Here’s a preview of this weekend’s Grand Circuit action.
ROOKIE TROTTERS BATTLE IN PRESTIGIOUS FINALS
The $665,000 William Wellwood Memorial for two-year-old trotters and $362,000 Peaceful Way for two-year-old filly trotters are the main events for Saturday’s 12-race card.
The rich Wellwood Memorial also comes with the added incentive of the winner receiving the last slot in the Mohawk Million.
Leading OSS trainer John Bax is sending out a trio of starters in the Wellwood, including a pair of Ontario Sired trotters.
Oh Look Magic, piloted by Matt Bax, won his elimination in the 1:55.1, the quickest time of the three divisions and the Lookslikeachpndale son’s best mark to date. Canada’s leading driver James MacDonald has been tipped for Saturday night.
$130,000 Lexington Select purchase Snowpiercer also qualified for the final. The Muscle Mass son has hit the board in all five of his freshman starts. Paul MacDonell drive.
Two more OSS colts are entered. Ghostly Casper (Resolve) has a pair of runner-ups from three Gold starts this season. Tuscan Prince (Kadabra) was second in his elimination, jumping in class after a pair of wins at the Grassroots level this season.
In the Peaceful Way, Bax has two starters, one by an Ontario Sire.
Righteous Resolve and Paul MacDonell winning a Peaceful Way elimination. (New Image Media)
Righteous Resolve, has four wins from five starts, her lone defeat coming at Georgian Downs. The resolve filly won her elimination last week with Paul MacDonnell driving, who again gets the drive.
Two more Ontario Sired fillies are in the field, Winooksi (Royalty For Life) came home in 27.1 last week in her elimination to secure a spot in the final, and Northern Magenta (Royalty For Life) was a game fifth to advance, after going off at 80-1.
BULLDOG HANOVER LEADS CANADIAN PACING DERBY ELIMINATIONS
Bulldog Hanover, the world’s fastest Standardbred, will make his return to Woodbine Mohawk Park in one of two eliminations for the Canadian Pacing Derby.
A total of 14 older pacers were entered for this year’s Pacing Derby and have been split into a pair of seven-horse $40,000 divisions. The top-five finishers from each elimination will advance to the final on September 3.
Jack Darling’s Bulldog Hanover will make his first start at Mohawk Park since establishing the new fastest mile in harness racing history of 1:45.4 on July 16 at The Meadowlands.
The Ontario sired four-year-old has won eight of nine starts this season, including The Graduate Series, William Haughton Memorial and Dan Patch.
Bulldog Hanover. (Michael Burns Photo)
Bulldog Hanover’s competition on Saturday for the second Derby elimination includes top OSS graduates Desperate Man and Tattoo Artist. Dexter Dunn will steer ‘Bulldog’ for owners Darling and Brad Grant.
Local favourite Jimmy Freight returns to Woodbine Mohawk Park with more questions than he left. The seven-year-old posted a career-best 1:48 game victory in the Mohawk Gold Cup on June 18, but suffered an injury in the weeks following and has made just one start since that occasion.
Jimmy Freight returns to the care of trainer Richard Moreau for the Pacing Derby and reunites with regular pilot Louis-Philippe Roy.
NASSAGAWEYA, ETERNAL CAMNATION, CASUAL BREEZE PART OF WEEKEND MENU
Friday evening’s main event is the $145,000 Casual Breeze for three-year-old trotting fillies. A field of seven will clash with Warrawee Xenia and OSS star Adare Castle squaring off.
The Casual Breeze is carded as Race 6.
Rookie pacers will have their first of several Grand Circuit engagements at Mohawk Park in this Saturday’s Nassagaweya and Eternal Camnation Stakes.
A total of 19 two-year-old pacing colts and geldings have been split into a pair of Nassagaweya divisions (Races 3 and 8). Both divisions will go for $127,000-plus.
The Eternal Camnation for two-year-old pacing fillies also attracted 19 entrants and will offer a purse of $117,000-plus per division. The Eternal Camnation splits are carded as Races 4 and 7.