Woodbine Mohawk Park: Rookie fillies take center stage in Mohawk Million

Since its debut in 2020, the Mohawk Million at Woodbine Mohawk Park has been a "by invitation only" trotting event for 2-year-olds. Not only was the prize money unique at the time, but the composition of the races is a stark departure from times gone by. In 2021 when Venerable, a filly, captured the second Million, it was firmly established that fillies, at least in their first year of racing, could not just compete with colts, but in fact defeat them.

Now, in 2026, it is no longer a novel concept to aim high when trainers find themselves with gifted trotting fillies. That means a decision to race for $1 million is always on the table, and it's just a matter of finding an entryway to drop in the box. Such was the case this past Monday (September 21) when the posts were drawn and the field was revealed for Saturday's (September 26) Grade 1 Mohawk Million to reveal a record-equaling four fillies in the field.

To no surprise, trainer Luc Blais, who sent out the filly Donna Soprano to a second-place finish in 2022 and Lasting Dream to a second-place finish in 2024, returns in 2026 with Donna Soprano's first foal Dataprivacy, an improving daughter of Muscle Hill, for the big dance.

► Get FREE Harness Eye PPs for Saturday's card at Woodbine Mohawk Park

Dataprivacy finished third in the Grade 1 Peaceful Way to Athena's Girl, and the two will line up next to each other on the starting gate Saturday, with Dataprivacy (post one) and Athena's Girl (post two) giving fillies the inside draw.

Like Venerable, Nevis Peak (post seven) is a daughter of Walner. Unlike Venerable, she is out of a Hambletonian-winning dam in Ramona Hill. From the Ron Burke stable that captured the 2023 edition with T C I, Nevis Peak makes her first start using Lasix following a sub-par finish in the Peaceful Way.

Ohio-based horses have consistently competed in the Mohawk Million, most notably Allegiant, the future world champion who garnered a third-place finish in the 2023 edition. This year, trainer Todd Luther arrives with a filly that enters the contest with the fastest mile of the year in Kissme Ifyoucan. A foal from the second crop of the impressive sire In Range, Kissme Ifyoucan has done double-duty for Luther, campaigning on both the Ohio Sires Stakes and Kentucky Sire Stakes program over the last two months.

"When she trotted that mile in 51 (and change) at The Red Mile, I started thinking about this race," said Luther of his charge that landed post six and will have Austin Hanners in the bike.

"She's been perfect from day one," said Luther of his filly who most recently (September 20) finished fifth in the Kentucky Championship Series final to the unbeaten Wall Of Fame.

Justifying the disappointing result at The Red Mile just six days prior to the Mohawk Million, Luther explained that Kissme Ifyoucan is not at her best racing on the front.

► Watch Friday's Hoosier Park card live & get free pps and analysis

Kissme Ifyoucan has earned $246K this year, winning four times in her eight career starts. In her start prior to the Kentucky Championship, Kissme Ifyoucan was second to another daughter of In Range named Blue Ranger, she a full sister to this year's star Big Ranger.

Kissme Ifyoucan was the eighth foal from her dam I Gotta Feelin to sell at public auction and proved to be the most expensive by far, with Luther taking her home for $160,000 for his brother Greg's racing stable.

"I watched her videos a ton of times and just loved her," said Luther. "I told my brother 'we've got to take that one home.'"

As for the price, it was all about timing. "The In Range's were very hot at the time," said Luther.

Indeed, Kissme Ifyoucan's yearling purchase price was four times higher than any previous foal from the dam.

Fortunately for Luther and company as the winning bidder, he already has a filly that's worth significantly more after her racing days are over, but that's far from the plan with a promising racing career ready to unfold.

"She's been perfect from day one," said Luther, who shipped the filly to Mohawk on Wednesday. "I wanted her to have a few days to get acclimated before the race."

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Luther suggested he might pull the filly's shoes on Saturday if the conditions are right.

As for putting a filly in against the colts, Luther is not shy. "I think the fillies can be more advanced at this stage," said the trainer.

Luther has put trotting hopples on Kissme Ifyoucan and has a quite realistic approach to the equipment. "They just go for so much money these days, and I just don't want to see her make a mistake," said Luther. "I think she could race without them, but she has such quick turn of foot I don't want to take the chance."

Luther said that Kissme Ifyoucan's liver count spiked following her 1:51 4/5 win on August 9, and it has taken time for things to normalize, but he feels confident in her chances on Saturday and likes who he has in the bike.

"Austin's won a Breeders Crown for us," Luther said of driver Austin Hanners, who guided Always B Naughty to victory in the Open Mares pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park last fall. "He knows this filly very well."

While all the fillies in this year's Mohawk Million have shown ability, they are still outnumbered and will have to deal with a pair of colts that have shown high-end ability this season. Recent New Jersey Classic winner Wrong Sounds Right (post five) took his 1:51 4/5 mark in that race on September 11 at the Meadowlands and makes his first trip outside New Jersey for Saturday's big event. Trained by Jim Campbell, the Tactical Landing-sired homebred has captured four of his six career starts while showing improvement along the way. Todd McCarthy looks for his first Mohawk Million title in the sulky.

Ocean Storm (post nine) returns to the scene of his biggest triumph for trainer Cam Capone. The Chapter Seven-sired colt captured the Grade 1 William Wellwood Memorial over this surface on August 29 in a career-best 1:52 4/5 clocking. Ocean Storm returns but will have a new driver with Yannick Gingras opting for the Burke-trained Nevis Peak (post seven). James MacDonald picks up the assignment.

Ontario-sired Detonater Hanover (post three) has won four of his eight starts this year for trainer Dr. Ian Moore and could be right on the wire with a good trip.

Seven Pledges (post four) and D A Johnny Cash (post eight) round out the field for the Mohawk Million, a race that has gained stature in its early years and should continue to flourish.

Scheduled as race 10 on a 13-race stakes-filled program that also includes the co-featured C$1,000,000 Metro Pace for 2-year-olds, the Mohawk Million should go to post about 10:45 P.M. (EDT). Post time for the first race is 6:30 P.M.