Woodbine Mohawk Park: Winners Bet bags Wellwood Memorial, stamps Mohawk Million ticket

Winners Bet worked out a third-over trip off a contested pace and charged by horses in the stretch to take Saturday night's C$665,000 William Wellwood Memorial final for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters at Woodbine Mohawk Park. International Man was second, giving trainer Domenico Cecere and owner Lindy Farms a sweep of the exacta.

Dahlquist Hanover (Trevor Henry) rocketed out from post ten to the early lead, but Tuscan Prince (Bob McClure) moved up on the outside after leaving from post seven and went by Dahlquist Hanover to take charge at the 27 4/5 opening quarter.

Oh Look Magic (James MacDonald) then tipped out of third to go after Tuscan Prince, but he could not clear and was left out by Tuscan Prince through a 56 1/5 half and a 1:25 three-quarters. International Man (Yannick Gingras) grabbed Oh Look Magic's cover to sit second-over, and Winners Bet (Dexter Dunn) was right on Gingras's helmet in the outer tier.

Gingras and Dunn sent their horses three-wide and four-wide late on the final bend to go after the dueling leaders, and even though International Man had first crack at them, it was Winners Bet who had more trot, and he would use a 28 3/5 last quarter to get up and prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:54 1/5. Ghostly Casper (Sylvain Filion), Southwind Coors (Mike Saftic) and French Wine (Andy Miller) completed the top five.

"I was really happy with where I got away. The pace was on up front, we nursed around the first turn, and got him balanced into the backside," said Dunn. "Once he got that momentum up, we got a good trip after that and a great helmet to follow from Domenico's other horse."

Bred by S R F Stable, Winners Bet, a Walner-Side Bet Hanover colt, is co-owned by Robert Rudolph with Lindy Farms. Winners Bet, a $200,000 purchase at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, has three wins, a second, and a third from five tries, has now banked C$366,100, and paid $7.20 to win as the 5-2 second choice.

By virtue of his victory, Winners Bet received an automatic berth to next month's Mohawk Million.

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"It's fantastic. It's unbelievable," remarked Cecere. "When you work hard, and then you get the result, it's way better.

"We'll keep him as healthy as we can, and we'll keep doing the best job we can. He'll take care of us. He's a nice colt, and he's still learning."