Woodbine Mohawk Park: William Wellwood Memorial, Peaceful Way elims take place

Trotting 2-year-olds sparred in a pair of eliminations for the Grade 1 William Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful Way Stakes on Friday (Aug. 21) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with Detonater Hanover and Gios Hope taking the Wellwood elims, while Dataprivacy and Fashion Athena scored in the Peaceful Way elims.

Detonater Hanover resurfaced from a win in the Grade 3 Millard Farms final with a game push against Top Reacher to win his William Wellwood elimination in a 1:52 3/5 mile. Driver Tyler Moore floated Detonater Hanover towards the lead through a 27 3/5 first quarter and found a pocket seat once early leader Top Reacher looped back to the top before a 56 1/5 half. With Lincoln Kronos looming up the rim around the final turn, Moore tipped off the pylons and pressed Top Reacher to three-quarters in 1:24 2/5. Top Reacher clung to a diminishing lead in the stretch as Detonater Hanover clawed forward and struck the winning blow by a half-length at the beam. Ocean Storm rallied for third with Access Now fourth and The Italian Job earning the last berth into the final.

"It's been quite a ride," said Tyler Moore, who collected his first graded stakes win as a driver when winning the Millard Farms final on Aug. 7. "I'm very fortunate to be a part of it. Everybody's enjoying it and the horse is making it for all of us. He's been exceptional. It's been a long ride because I helped [my] dad with him when he first came up from Florida. The development of this guy has been unbelievable. I've been up front and close with how he's turned into this wicked horse. It's so amazing and I'm happy to be a part of it."

"When I brought him to Canada he got really hot in terms of aggressive, and he was difficult for me to handle," trainer Dr. Ian Moore said. "When I had the accident here in the early part of June I lost feeling in my left arm for awhile, so I had no strength and it got a little difficult for awhile, but [Tyler] helped with him every day. He knows him and he does well driving trotters so we had no problem."

A Muscle Mass-Dancing Flames colt, Detonater Hanover collected his third win from five starts and has now earned C$151,530 for owner Detonater Hanover Stable. He paid $3.90 to win. ​

Gios Hope brushed to the lead before the half and coasted to a 1:54 2/5 win in the other William Wellwood Memorial elimination. Driver Dexter Dunn sent the Marcus Melander trainee towards the top after a 28 1/5 first quarter and took over command from Data Breach heading to a 58 second half. Yankee Boss mounted a first-up bid to three-quarters in 1:26 4/5 that Gios Hope swiftly rebuffed upon accelerating for home, and the odds-on favorite sailed in a 1 1/4 length winner, chased by fast-closing Free Scottie in second. Data Breach took third with Yankee Boss tiring to fourth and Kountry Cantab grabbing the last spot into the final.

"He's really nice. I like him a lot," Dunn said after the race. "He was really good at Vernon and then, racing in New York on half-mile tracks, he felt terrific getting back to the bigger track. He's quite a big boy, definitely have to nurse him a little bit more on the smaller track, but he felt really free tonight. He was travelling great around the last turn, and when I asked him at the top of the stretch he really lengthened his stride good and was doing it pretty comfortably."

Winning his third race from four starts, Gios Hope, a Chapter Seven-Southwind Hope colt, has now earned C$116,967 for owners Brixton Medical Inc. and Hatfield Stables. He paid $3.70 to win. ​

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Dunn and Melander also teamed to win the faster of the two Peaceful Way eliminations with 4-5 favorite Athenas Girl in a 1:54 mile. Dunn settled his charge in fourth while City Of Light swept towards the top through a 28 1/5 first quarter and moseyed to the half in 58 2/5. Beauts Cabaret angled off the pylons from third moving for the last turn, giving Athenas Girl cover as City Of Light upped the tempo to three-quarters in 1:26 3/5. City Of Light hit another gear in the stretch but could not withstand Athenas Girl once Dunn uncorked her and gathered steam to the center of the track. Athenas Girl stormed away for a 1 1/4 length win over City Of Light with Elusive Station checking in third, Major Contender closing for fourth and Beauts Cabaret tiring to fifth for the last spot into the final.

"I always liked her, she just wasn't putting together under pressure on race day," Dunn said after the race. "But she's getting the hang of it. She's got the speed, so she's getting more confident now. She felt like she had lots of trot coming to three-quarters, and I obviously just wanted to stay flat and get her around the last turn. But once I tipped her off the helmet, she really trotted up the straight great tonight."

Athenas Girl, a Walner-Fashion Athena filly, won her second race from five starts and has now earned C$32,606 for owner Brad Grant. She paid $3.60 to win.

Determination homebred Dataprivacy ripped from off the speed with a 54 3/5 back-half to land a 23-1 upset in the second Peaceful Way elimination. Driver Bob McClure landed in ninth with the Luc Blais pupil while Treasure King rolled for the lead and cut a clip of 28, 58 and 1:26 under minimal pressure. But as Rebel Moon led the outer tier through the last turn before wavering into the lane, the backfield fanned across the track and built steady momentum after the laboring leader. Loves Passion weaved through traffic from a pocket trip as Verily charged from the backfield past an even Nevis Peak, while Dataprivacy reached her best stride late. Dataprivacy soared over the top and snatched the win by a half-length over Loves Passion while Verily took third, odds-on favorite Nevis Peak settled for fourth from an even rally off a second-over trip, and Creamy Armitage grabbed the last berth in fifth.

"She's been progressing pretty well," Bob McClure said after the race. "She was having a bit of some gait issues, but her last start she raced really well; she won really handy. I trained her here on Saturday morning and she trained very, very good. Luc's done a good job putting her together, and I think it's all coming into fruition now. I couldn't be happier with her. I was pretty worried just getting into a spot for the final. She was a little shy behind the gate, so we got away behind the eight ball early, but when I turned for home she was pretty full of herself. When she started trotting I was pretty confident she was going to hit the ticket, but it wasn't until late I thought she had a chance to win."

A filly by Muscle Hill and out of 2020 Peaceful Way champion Donna Soprano, Dataprivacy won her second race from four starts and has now earned C$31,500. She paid $49.60 to win.

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--