Woodbine Mohawk Park: Maryland scores decisively in Wellwood Memorial

It's not often that a Dexter Dunn-driven/Marcus Melander-trained horse goes off at 17-1, but such was the case with Maryland in the C$575,000 William Wellwood Memorial final for 2-year-old male trotters on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Maryland rewarded those that were loyal to him at the windows, posting an impressive 1:53 4/5 victory and defeating New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Nordic Catcher S by nearly five lengths in the process.

Starting from post nine, Maryland made his way to the front with little dispute and only had to go a 28 1/5 opening quarter. Elimination winner Emoticon Legacy (Louis-Philippe Roy) would move to the outside from fourth after that station and went by Maryland on the way to 57 2/5 half, putting Nordic Catcher S into the three-hole.

Emoticon Legacy maintained the top spot to three-quarters in 1:26 1/5 as Nordic Catcher S began a first-over advance, but in the lane Emoticon Legacy couldn't keep the pylons closed, giving Dunn a seam to pour through with Maryland. Once he had room, Maryland surged right by both Emoticon Legacy and Nordic Catcher S, then drew off to a 4 3/4 length triumph. Southwind Caspian (Paul MacDonell) got third at 130-1, followed by Emoticon Legacy and Lookatmegoamigo (Bob McClure).

"He was really good last week in the elimination. He just struggled around the last turn. Marcus made some gear changes, and he was so much better tonight," relayed Dunn after the race. "He felt great behind the gate before it left. He was straight and trotting good. We had the outside. I just thought we'd give it a shot and see how handy we got. He actually got across pretty good, and then obviously got a good helmet off Louis. He won that pretty easily. He really stretched out good in the straight.

"He was a little bit light on his feet a couple of times on that last turn. He stayed flat last week and he was 100 times better tonight around the last turn. I just really held him together. We got a pretty clean run up the inside there, and he did the rest."

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A Chapter Seven-Crucial colt bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Maryland is owned by Courant Inc., Pcw Racing LLC., Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. and Sstewartrthorn Stable. The $475,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale acquisition has a record of 2-1-1 from five appearances, has pocketed C$311,743 and returned $36.50 to win.

"He raced great last week. He had a little trouble there in the turns. He wasn't straight enough, so Dexter couldn't really keep up with those up front," Melander said. "He finished really strong the last eighth, so I knew he was sharp going into the final here. I just had to make him go straight. Obviously he's a Chapter Seven and he's New York-sired. He's not dual-eligible with Kentucky, so I wanted to try to keep him off the half-mile tracks because he's running in a little bit in the turns. That's why we've just been keeping him on the big tracks here and will probably continue to do that, too.

"First of all, at the sale, he was a gorgeous horse with a great pedigree, and then training down, he's just been a smart colt from Day One. He's showed that in the races as well. He took a bad step there at the Meadowlands and made a break, but other than that, he's done everything right."