Woodbine Mohawk Park: Field assembled for Saturday's Mohawk Million

Woodbine Mohawk Park has assembled an all-star lineup of five Grade 1 races and C$3.7 million in total purses for Canada’s richest race card of the season this Saturday.

The C$1 million Mohawk Million (G1) and C$1 million Metro Pace (G1) are the co-main events for Saturday’s program. The C$590,000 Canadian Trotting Classic (G1), C$510,000 Shes A Great Lady (G1) and C$400,000 Elegantimage (G1) join as the feature races on a 13-race card.

Below is a breakdown of Saturday’s Mohawk Million:

Mohawk Million (G1) - $1 million – Race 10

The Mohawk Million for 2-year-old trotters will crown a seventh champion. The unique “buy-in” race saw more than 30 interested parties enter to purchase a slot back in February. Each of the 10 slots were priced at C$60,000. With each slot holder having the flexibility to keep, sell, lease or trade their spot, the 10 rookie trotters were officially declared on Monday.

Here is how each trotter landed in this year’s race.

Original Slot Owner New Slot Owner Horse

Paul Van Camp Determination Dataprivacy

Al Libfeld Brad Grant Athenas Girl

Matt Bax Dr. Ian Moore Detonater Hanover

Bill Pollock Seven Pledges

Courant Inc. Scott Farber Wrong Sounds Right

Andrew Harris Prolific Equine Kissme Ifyoucan

Mark Weaver Nevis Peak

Celebrity Farms Chris Matthews D A Johnny Cash

Michael Venneri Cameron Capone Ocean Storm

Dustin Jones Determination Access Now

Wellwood Memorial (G1) winner Ocean Storm and Peaceful Way (G1) winner Athenas Girl return to the Campbellville oval seeking another Grade 1 victory.

Dexter Dunn and Marcus Melander team with filly Athenas Girl in hopes of a third straight Mohawk Million win. The duo team last year with Apex, who races in Saturday’s Canadian Trotting Classic, and in 2024 with Maryland. Melander has won three of the six editions, securing his first in 2022 with Oh Well.

Athenas Girl is joined by Dataprivacy, Kissme Ifyoucan and Nevis Peak as fillies in the field. The lone filly to win the Mohawk Million was Venerable in 2021.

Cameron Capone trainee Ocean Storm came out on top in the Wellwood Memorial on August 29 and has won three of four races to begin his career. Yannick Gingras drove Ocean Storm to victory in the Wellwood but sticks with Ron Burke trainee Nevis Peak. James MacDonald gets the assignment behind Ocean Storm.

Serge Godin’s Determination and trainer Luc Blais have been after the Million trophy since the race was established. The prominent connections have acquired two spots in the race, sending out Peaceful Way third-place finisher Dataprivacy with Louis-Philippe Roy and Wellwood runner-up Access Now with Bob McClure.

Bill Pollock secured a spot in the Million through the slot draw and will send out his colt Seven Pledges on Saturday. The $700,000 yearling purchase is trained by Andrew Harris and will have the driving services of Joe Bongiorno.

Detonater Hanover and D A Johnny Cash wave the Ontario sired banner in this year’s race. The Dr. Ian Moore trained Detonater Hanover has won four of eight starts, while the Chris Matthews trained D A Johnny Cash has a pair of wins from six starts. Tyler Moore guides “Detonater”, while Doug McNair steers “Johnny Cash”.

Wrong Sounds Right looms as major player for trainer Jim Campbell and driver Todd McCarthy. The New Jersey sired standout has won four of six starts to date, including a 1:51 4/5 win in the New Jersey Classic.

Greg Luther’s filly Kissme Ifyoucan will race in her third rich race in as many weeks on Saturday. The Todd Luther trainee was fifth in Sunday’s Kentucky Sires Stakes Championship and second in the Ohio Sires Stakes Championship on September 12. Austin Hanners drives.

Ron Burke could become the second trainer to have multiple Mohawk Million victories if Nevis Peak prevails. A two-time winner from five starts, Nevis Peak was fourth in the Peaceful Way.

The full field is listed below.

1 – Dataprivacy – Louis-Philippe Roy – Luc Blais

2 – Athenas Girl – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander

3 – Detonater Hanover – Tyler Moore – Dr. Ian Moore

4 – Seven Pledges – Joe Bongiorno – Andrew Harris

5 – Wrong Sounds Right – Todd McCarthy – Jim Campbell

6 – Kissme Ifyoucan – Austin Hanners – Todd Luther

7 – Nevis Peak – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke

8 – D A Johnny Cash – Doug McNair – Chris Matthews

9 – Ocean Storm – James MacDonald – Cameron Capone

10 – Access Now – Bob McClure – Luc Blais

The Mohawk Million stakes record is 1:51 4/5, set last year by Apex. It also stands as the Woodbine Mohawk Park track record for a 2-year-old male trotter.

The Mohawk Million is carded as Race 10 (10:45 p.m.) and will be part of Prime Time Racing’s broadcast on CBC Gem.

Doors open at 5 p.m. on Saturday and admission is free. Post time for the 13-race card is 6:30 p.m.

-edited release (Woodbine)