Woodbine Mohawk Park: Analysis for Saturday 9/26/26

Top Pick Stats: 535/1720 (-$898.10)

Best Bets: 62/155 (-$48.10); Spot Plays: 34/158 (-$97.30)

Best Bet: WANNABEABIGSTAR (Race 1)

Spot Play: JERSEY BULLDOG (Race 7)

Early Pick-5: 9/8,9/1,10/3,9/2 $1.60

Middle Pick-5: 5,6/9/3/3/7,10 $0.80

Late Pick-5: 3/7,10/1/2,4,6/5,7,10 $3.60

Race 1: CLAIMING HANDICAP $30,000 TO $40,000. ALLOWANCES FOR AGE & SEX. ENTER IN MULTIPLES OF $1,000.

(9) WANNABEABIGSTAR encountered no traffic trouble in his latest and was able to go down the road. I think it’s a slightly weaker field tonight; I’ll back him to repeat. (10) RIPASSO got the drive of the year two starts ago and has shown many times that he can sustain middle moves from well back. It just didn’t happen last week. (8) BOLD SPIRIT can fire out as quick as anyone but has trouble sustaining his bid after that. I’ll use him underneath tonight.

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Race 2: NW $9,000 LAST 4 STARTS OR NW $18,000 LAST 8 STARTS. AE: OPT. CLM. $60,000. AE: N/A $2,740 P/S IN 2026.

I thought (8) WAFFLE BLUE CHIP was out of position more than anything last week in a race where you knew the final quarter was going to be quick. I wouldn’t mind an aggressive early steer which would help him avoid trouble. (9) JK BLACK GOLD was left chasing a pumped up Helluva N after two sharp wins. I expect him to be in the mix once again. (3) JACK PANIC gets a major post switch and has more than enough gate speed to put himself in a decent spot in the early stages.

Race 3: NW $14,000 LAST 4 STARTS OR NW $24,000 LAST 8 STARTS. AE: NW 8 RACES LIFETIME.

(1) IM THE FALCON N makes his Mohawk debut after two excellent qualifiers. I fully expect these connections to have him ready to give it his all tonight. (10) JORDY N is an Open level pacer when at his best but will need to overcome a wide draw tonight. Gate speed should allow him to get the jump on many to his inside. (9) PACINO HANOVER is one spot down and continues his recent string of poor draws. His turn of foot has been so sharp as of late that I have to use him for a piece, even if the race setup likely isn’t ideal for him.

Race 4: 5 YEAR OLDS & YOUNGER, NW 3 RACES OR $54,000 (OS $63,500) LIFETIME.

(9) RYDER ROSS is second back after three weeks off and I thought he held his own last week. That mile shouldn’t have taken much out of him because he tracked rivals for a majority. (3) STAY FRESH encountered interference last week when Assistant Coach broke in front of him. I was impressed with how quickly he re-engaged and he only ended up losing by a length. (2) JOHNNY ANGEL produced a flashy final quarter that should draw plenty of attention his way, but we’ve seen that movie before.

Race 5: FREE FOR ALL.

(2) ERVIN HANOVER looked like himself last week and will be tough to catch if he brings that level of ability again tonight. (9) CRACK SHOT was impressive in his latest and deserves a long look in my opinion. He has held his own against Grand Circuit types in the past, but the trips either don’t go his way or he draws poorly. He will add value if he works out a trip. We haven’t seen (8) PRINCE HAL HANOVER in three weeks. There’s two schools of thought here: He needed a breather after pacing a bunch of big miles in a row, or he’ll be a touch flat in a race that he doesn’t need to win as he looks toward another stretch of big races. For my money? It’s leaning towards the latter.

Race 6: ELEGANTIMAGE FINAL: (GR 1). 3 YEAR OLD FILLIES.

(5) KNGTSTLKRS GAMES was extremely impressive in her elimination when closing widest of all. She pulled off a huge upset there and showed that she is no slouch. (6) NUANCE needed to show me that she could hang with these types after a couple near misses in PA. To her credit, she did just that and will have plenty of trip options for tonight’s big pot. (1) LEADING LADY did all she could to try and hold off Nuance, but the string of second place finishes continued last week. Starting from the rail could allow others to get the jump on her for position in the early stages.

Race 7: SHES A GREAT LADY FINAL: (GR 1). 2 YEAR OLD FILLIES. STARTING FEE: $3,000 CDN $2,325 USD.

(9) JERSEY BULLDOG has been unable to get the best of the other top fillies of this division, but I think she throws caution to the wind and is unleashed. It’s one race for the big money. An off-the-pace trip from an outside post just won’t do it. (6) WAVES OF FORTUNE has been my favorite filly to watch in this division and has proven multiple times that she is the one to beat. The draw favors her. (5) TWIN B COPACABANA has played spoiler multiple times this season but the class of others shined through last week in my opinion. She draws well, but I’ll use her underneath tonight.

Race 8: METRO PACE FINAL: (GR 1). 2 YEAR OLD OPEN.

(3) SHALOM HANOVER never had an anxious moment in his elimination and shouldn’t have one tonight. Must be nice in a race that goes for a million (Canadian) bucks. I would say the same for (6) EASTIE BOY if Shalom Hanover wasn’t in this race. I think the gap between his current form and the rest of these colts is sizable as well. (5) TH THEO should situate himself nicely given this draw. If he can keep up with Eastie Boy, he could give him a run for second.

Race 9: CANADIAN TROTTING CLASSIC FINAL: (GR 1). 3 YEAR OLD OPEN. STARTING FEE: $5,000 CDN $3,875 USD.

(3) APEX appeared to need a race after winning the Hambletonian. If he is truly back, this field will have a tough time catching him. (5) STROBE LITE lost at short odds last week but was out of position in a race that he didn’t need to win. His best effort could put him in the mix against a couple of Grand Circuit types. (6) MAGIC PUNK gets away from the rail where he made a miscue from in his latest. He has been his own worst enemy of late but we know what he is capable of when at his best.

Race 10: MOHAWK MILLION: (GR 1). 2 YEAR OLD OPEN.

(7) NEVIS PEAK was unable to race on Lasix in the Peaceful Way and it likely would have helped as she looked flat in both miles. She qualified at The Meadows with Lasix and looks to get redemption in what will be the richest race of her career. (10) ACCESS NOW edged away from Detonater Hanover in his latest and I was so impressed by his sharp closing effort in the William Wellwood Final. He is peaking at the right time. (5) WRONG SOUNDS RIGHT is an obvious contender who draws well in his first start away from New Jersey, but there are plenty of others in here that will be taking their shots. A potential short price on him isn’t worth it in my opinion.

Race 11: 2 & 3 YEAR OLDS NW 2 RACES OR $15,000 (ON SIRED $18,750) LIFETIME.

(1) D A ALLJOKESASIDE should only continue to improve with more starts under his belt. He has done little wrong so far and should be fit given the recent qualifier. (4) BILLY HILL is capable of :50 and change speed but is still green and still learning. We’ll see what he brings tonight against a bit of a lackluster field. (8) SMILIN PETE shaved 10 seconds in his Mohawk debut in what wound up being a pretty sharp mile. Dexter Dunn picks up a live catch drive if this colt can bring that speed again.

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Race 12: 4 YEAR OLDS & YOUNGER, NW 2 (2 YR OLDS 3) RACES OR $30,500 (OS $37,500) LIFETIME.

(2) EVANS LEGACY finally gets the right setup after many weeks of drawing poorly against horses that are just plain faster than him. I’ll give him the nod. (6) SOLAR VOLTAGE doesn’t have the flash that a few others have shown to this point but he provides consistent speed and battles late in the mile. I still have no idea what to do with (4) ASSISTANT COACH. It looked like he was going to battle back when they hit the top of the lane, but instead he broke. If someone ever figures him out, he will win more than a few races.

Race 13: NW $6,000 LAST 4 STARTS OR NW $12,000 LAST 8 STARTS (W/O $15,000 LAST 8 STARTS N/E). AE: N/A $2,520 P/S IN 2026.

I’ll hope that (10) CODENAME CIGAR BOX can reach back and pull enough class out to potentially bottom out this field. It’s an interesting concoction of former Pop-Up types and mid-level pacers. He’s better than all of them if he brings his best. (7) CONVOY TWENTY TWO has displayed a sharp turn of foot on the end of his miles recently which could do him plenty of favors if this race falls apart. (5) SHADOW OF AN ANGEL could make things boring and just repeat as the likely favorite if he brings that level of ability again tonight. It certainly looked better than all the breaks he was making previously.