Woodbine Mohawk Park: Tetrick seeks Grade 1 double on Saturday

Hall of Fame driver Tim Tetrick finds himself in two prime spots on Saturday night, hoping to find the winner's circle in a pair of Grade 1 finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park - the C$705,000 Canadian Pacing Derby and the C$620,000 Maple Leaf Trot.

Tetrick will guide Best Chip, a supplement to the Pacing Derby that finished a solid second in his elimination a week ago, and in the Maple Leaf, he gets the call once again - as he did on July 19 - for trainer Ron Burke to sit behind Lexus Kody. The defending Trotter of the Year last won for Tetrick, capturing the Spirit Of Massachusetts and has since been defeated in three straight races, including a fifth in last week's Maple Leaf trials.

"He raced great in the elimination," said Tetrick of Best Chip, who starts from post four in the Canadian Pacing Derby carded as race 10 on the Woodbine Mohawk Park program. "He just got out-tripped in the end."

For Once Inmy Life tracked Best Chip throughout the mile and was able to go by in a 1:47 mile. Best Chip, trained by Joe Bongiorno, lost very little luster in defeat.

"He raced great for me on Hambletonian Day," Tetrick said of the 1:46 1/5 victory, the fastest mile in North America in 2026. "He was coming back after three weeks off."

A 4-year-old by Heston Blue Chip, Best Chip has blossomed this year, winning seven of his 13 starts in the process. Tetrick believes he's got plenty of options in the Canadian Pacing Derby final. "He raced great for me from off-the-pace at Scioto," Tetrick said. "He's easy to handle and doesn't grab on."

The Canadian Pacing Derby draw worked out well for Best Chip considering he did not get post preference from winning an elimination. From post four Best Chip will be directly inside For Once In My Life (post five) and Prince Hal Hanover (post six), the trial winners. For Once Inmy Life is looking for his third straight win following his career-best 1:47 mile last week (August 29). Prince Hal Hanover was parked a long way before clearing the lead and was incredibly brave in capturing his division in 1:48 while taking on rivals on all sides through the final stages of his race. Dr. Ian Moore conditions the 4-year-old by Captaintreacherous and Todd McCarthy will be in the bike.

Last year's Canadian Pacing Derby runner-up Ervin Hanover hadn't raced competitively in over a month heading into last week's eliminations and raced well to be lapped-on the winner at the wire. The 2025 Dan Patch Award winner in this class has won four of his six starts leading up to Saturday's final and should be a key player despite drawing post nine.

Also returning from last year's Canadian Pacing Derby was the third-place finisher Oakwood Ardan IR for trainer Bob Cleary. The 7-year-old gelding had to close from an impossible spot in his elimination heat and rallied for fifth to reach the final. Oakwood Ardan IR rallied from post nine in last year's final and gets the benefit of post three in this Saturday's contest with James MacDonald in the bike.

Coaches Corner reached the final again in 2026 following a third-place finish in his elimination for driver Jason Bartlett. The 6-year-old son of Always A Virgin will have to overcome post 10.

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Tetrick will try to turn around the fortunes of Lexus Kody as he looks to capture his second straight Maple Leaf Trot (race eight) for trainer Ron Burke.

"He raced great for me at Plainridge," Tetrick said of the 1:49 4/5 effort over a five-eighths track back in July. "But I know he hasn't raced that well since."

Lexus Kody has received an invitation to compete in the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot at Yonkers on September 12, and that could be foremost on his trainer's mind.

"I'm already conceding he's not going to be as sharp as he can be by this week," said Burke when asked about Lexus Kody. "But I'm pretty sure he'll be perfect in two weeks."

Lexus Kody has been battling back from a minor virus according to the conditioner.

Trainer Marcus Melander sent out Periculum to capture the 2024 Maple Leaf Trot, and he could again be in prime position to take down this classic on Saturday with a pair that landed on the inside of the starting car. Most notably, Super Chapter (post two) has returned this year as a 4-year-old and shined brightly for the stable. In last week's elimination, driver Dexter Dunn put him in prime position, coming first-over and then sprinting home in 27 flat to score in 1:49 4/5. With four wins and two seconds in six starts this year, Super Chapter, a son of Chapter Seven, will be looking for another Grade 1 victory, having previously annexed the John Cashman Memorial on August 8 at the Meadowlands.

Melander will also send out Aetos Kronos S (post one), a solid second behind French Wine in his elimination, with the 10-year-old by Bold Eagle still in search of his first win in 2026.

French Wine's biggest win last year came in the Breeders Crown over this surface, and the connections appear to have the veteran son of Bar Hopping ready for the Maple Leaf. Driver Jason Bartlett raced French Wine from well off-the-pace, but the Nancy Takter-trained horse exploded to pass all his rivals in the stretch with a 1:50 3/5 mile his first victory of the year. French Wine drew post six.

The oft-winning Swedish-bred Antognoni finished fifth as the pace-setter in his Maple Leaf elimination, but trainer Ron Burke understood why. "He was wild in the post parade, and I knew we were in trouble," Burke said, specifying some equipment adjustments that were made prior to the race. "He'll be better and he'll be more controllable this week."

Antognoni will need to be at his best to overcome post 10 against this company.

Perhaps sneaking a bit under the radar coming into the Maple Leaf Trot final is Emoticon Legacy for trainer Luc Blais and driver Bob McClure. One of last year's top sophomore trotters, Emoticon Legacy has remained in Canada for his five 2026 starts, winning just once and finishing second on four occasions. The son of Walner defeated Super Chapter from post 10 in last year's Kentucky Futurity and was a solid closing second behind him in last week's elimination heat. Emoticon Legacy drew post three.

The C$255,000 Grade 2 Milton Stakes is a co-feature as race five on the 13-race stakes-filled Woodbine Mohawk Park Saturday card, with Twin B Joe Fresh looking for her third straight victory in the event but up against it while starting from post nine. In her first race in three weeks, Twin B Joe Fresh cut the pace in last week's prep for the Milton and succumbed in the stretch to supplemental entry Francent N in a 1:48 1/5 clocking. The two will lock horns again in the Milton, with Francent N landing post six. Two other major 2026 stakes winners - Unreasonable (post one) and Louies Girl N (post three) - make the Milton a compelling affair.

Saturday post time is scheduled for 6:30 P.M. (EDT).