2024 Mohawk Million Night

2024 Mohawk Million Results

Driver Dexter Dunn celebrates with the trophy after winning the Mohawk Million.

Dateline: 09/21/2024

Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park featured the fifth running of the $1 million Mohawk Million, a 1 mile trot for 2-year-olds around 2 turns of the 7/8 mile oval in Campbellville, Ontario. Conditions were typical for the last Saturday of summer, with partly cloudy skies and a race time temperature of 18.7 C (65.7 F). Patterned after the Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park, owners can buy starting slots for the race and either use the slot for their own horse or re-sell the slot to another owner.

Maryland rallies on the outside in the stretch

A full field of 10 lined up behind the starting gate, with Maryland sent off as the 9-10 favorite off wins in the William Wellwood Memorial at Mohawk and the Peter Haughton at Hoosier Park. In to challenge him included 5-1 second choice and filly Monalishi, winner of the Peaceful Way and her division of the Champlain Stakes, and 11-2 third choice Emoticon Legacy, winner of his Champlain division after finishing fourth in the William Wellwood.

Driver Scott Zeron sent 17-1 Meshuggah to the front first time by through fractions of 27 1/5, 56 2/5, and 1:2 3/5 while pressed by 63-1 longest shot Lookatmegoamigo and stalked by 29-1 Go Ahead Makemyday. In the stretch Meshuggah continued to lead but favorite Maryland, 6th early and wide around both turns with driver Dexter Dunn, rallied late to win going away by 3 1/2 lengths over Lasting Dream in a new stakes, track, and Canadian record time of 1:52 3/5. It was another 1/4 length back to pacesetter Meshuggah third.

Maryland wins the Mohawk Million.

Pgm   Horse              Driver            Win   Place  Show
 2   Maryland            Dunn             3.90    2.80  2.50
 6   Lasting Dream       McClure                  6.20  4.40
 7   Meshuggah           Zeron                          4.90

Winning Time:  1:52 3/5

$2 Exacta  2-6              15.60
$2 Trifecta  2-6-7         162.70
$1 Superfecta  2-6-7-5     262.80

Left: Maryland in the winner’s circle. Winning trainer Marcus Melander said, “We will ship him back home to New Jersey and prepare him for the Breeders Crown, since he won last week and he’s already eligible for the finals. So, that will be his next race, probably. Maybe, we’ll do a qualifier in between, but that’s what we’re waiting for right now.”

Right: Maryland in his winner’s blanket. Winning owner Steve Stewart said, “I think pretty much when he was racing at the Meadowlands early, he just showed so much talent,” said Steve Stewart of Hunterton Farm. “And that last 16th, he always just seems to accelerate. There was one race early that I think a horse came up on him and it looked like he was going to go right by him, and he just wouldn’t let him go, and it seems like he’s very versatile. Marcus has been saying that the one thing that separates him from a lot of horses is he’s so intelligent.”

Left: Maryland in the post parade. Winning driver Dexter Dunn said, “He was pretty aggressive tonight,” said Dunn. “He hasn’t really been like that before, and now the horse outside was pretty fired up on the gate too. And there was a bit going on, but we had a little bubble there before the gate left, but he luckily kept his gate. We still got away in a pretty decent position, and just around the last turn, I nearly lost him there for a bit, but he got himself up. I was still confident, especially coming off the last turn, and he was close enough that he’s fast enough.”

Right: Maryland warms up earlier in the evening.

Left: Second place finisher Lasting Dream in the post parade. The Luc Blais trainee improved her record to 2 wina, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds in 8 starts, earning $415,875 for owner-breeder Determination.

Right: Third place finisher Meshuggah warms up after the post parade. The Marcus Melander trainee improved his record to 2 wins, 4 seconds, and 1 third in 7 starts, earning $425,238 for owner Courant Inc.

The $1 million Metro Pace featured a full field of ten 2-year-old pacers. Captain Optimistic was sent off as the 6-5 favorite off his elimination win after taking the New Jersey Classic at Meadowlands. In to challenge him included 8-5 second choice Fallout, winner of the other elimination after disappointing 5th in the Kentucky Sires Stakes at The Red Mile, and 9-2 third choice Swingtown, third in his elimination after winning the Ohio Sires Stakes at Scioto Downs.

15-2 fourth choice Prince Hal Hanover was quickest away through an opening quarter of 26 2/5 before driver Yannick Gingras sent Captain Optimistic to lead through a half in 54 4/5 and 3/4 in 1:22 1/5 pressed by Prince Hal Hanover and stalked by 124-1 longest shot Blue Onyx. Captain Optimistic continued to lead to midstretch but Fallout, 6th early with Tim Tetrick in the bike, rallied and outfinished Prince Hal Hanover to win by a length in stakes and track record tying 1:49 1/5. It was another 1 1/4 length back to favorite Captain Optimistic third.

Results chart Race 7

Left: Fallout in the winner’s circle. Winning trainer Tony Alagna said, “This horse showed that he had the ability. It just looked like he was going to take a couple starts for him to get really fit and really into it. We took him to Kentucky, we raced him down there twice or three times, and it looked like he was going to be [in] tough down there so we thought, ‘You know what? We have good luck in Canada. Let’s take him to Metro and see what happens.’ And he just exploded up here. You know, he’s been lights out both weeks. I thought the way Timmy raced him was going to get the miles in him that he needed to come up here,”

Right: Fallout heads to the winner’s circle. Winning driver Tim Tetrick said, “I was just kind of playing the race, and then I could see they were gonna play some chess early. Yannick still got a pretty easy first half. But you know, this colt just kept coming and digging, and we kept having a helmet to follow. When it mattered he got to the wire first.”

Left: Second place finisher Prince Hal Hanover in the post parade. The Dr. Ian Moore trainee improved his record to 2 wins, 4 seconds, and 1 third in 8 starts, earning $402,709 for owner Prince Hal Hanover Stable.

Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Captain Optimistic warms up after the post parade. The Nancy Takter trainee improved his record to 5 wins, 1 second, and 1 third in 7 starts, earning $280,808 for owners 2 Brothers Stable, Marvin Katz, and Caviart Farms.

The $713,000 Canadian Trotting Classic featured an field of ten 3-year-old trotters. Hambletonian runner-up and Simcoe Stakes winner Highland Kismet was sent off as the 7-10 favorite over 5-2 second choice Sir Pinocchio, winner of the New York Sires Stakes at Yonkers, and 7-1 third choice Security Protected, 4th in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes at Pocono.

19-1 Amazing Catch was quickest away through an opening quarter of 27 seconds before Sir Pinocchio took over on the backstretch through a half in 56 2/5 and 3/4 in 1:24, as favorite Highland Kismet, 4th early, broke stride after 1/4 mile and had to drop back to last. Turning for home Sir Pinocchio continued to lead but faded late as Amazing Catch with Dexter Dunn driving, fought back and outfinished late-running 21-1 Private Access to win by 1 1/4 length in a stakes record equaling 1:51 4/5. It was another 1/4 length back to late-running 65-1 Flying Kronos S, while favorite Highland Kismet finished last of 10 but was placed ninth ahead of 97-1 Caballero who was disqualified for an extended break.

Results chart Race 9

Left: Amazing Catch in the winner’s circle. Winning co-owner Marvin Katz said, “He’s been in all the big races, and in fact, there in the Hambletonian – if he hadn’t gotten interfered, I think he could have won it. He was that close. And I think Dexter felt the same way. He raced well in the Poconos and hasn’t raced for a month. It was the same with French Champagne. So when they both came here last week, they just needed the race. But clearly both of them were ready. I said to Sarah [Svanstedt], their plans and their organization for these horses are incomparable, and they deserve all the credit.”

Right: Amazing Catch in the post parade. Winning driver Dexter Dunn said, “He’s had two 10-hole draws in classic races and put in two great efforts,” winning driver Dexter Dunn said after the race. “Obviously tonight was different; [in] the Hambo, we just went back to last and rode the inside. But [tonight] he had to work out there pretty hard, and we got a good helmet after that, and he really sprinted through. But you know, he just felt fantastic tonight. He’s a lovely horse. He was racing some heavy hitters, so it’s not easy out there all the time. But you know, he hasn’t put too many bad efforts in.”

Left: Second place finisher Private Access in the post parade. The Luc Blais trainee improved his record to 3 wins, 5 seconds, and 2 thirds in 19 starts, earning $404,927 for owner Determination.

Right: Third place finisher Flying Kronos S warms up earlier in the evening. The Ake Svanstedt trainee improved his record to 2 wins, 3 seconds, and 3 thirds in 12 starts, earning $187,690 for owners Midnight Sun Partners, Bruni Racing Team, and Kronos Breeding Inc.

Tenth place finisher (placed ninth) and beaten favorite Highland Kismet crosses the finish line last but was moved up to 9th. The Mark Etsell trainee has a record of 7 wins, 2 seconds, and 0 thirds in 12 starts, earning $603,085 for owner-breeder Highland Thoroughbred Farm.

A field of 10 two-year-old pacing fillies contested the $532,000 She’s A Great Lady Stakes. Chantilly, undefeated in 6 starts including the Eternal Camnation and Ontario Sires Stakes, was sent off as the 1-4 favorite over 9-2 second choice Cant See Me, winner of the Champlain Stakes, and 12-1 third choice The Last Martini, winner of the New York Sires Stakes at Yonkers. Driver Doug McNair sent The Last Martini to the lead first time by through fractions of 27, 55 2/5, and 1:23 3/5 while pressed by 86-1 Millie May Hanover and stalked by Cant See Me. Turning for home, The Last Martini continued to lead but Chantilly, fifth early and wide around the far turn with James MacDonald in the bike, rallied by to win by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:50 2/5. It was another 1/4 length back to Cant See Me third.

Results chart Race 8

Left: Chantilly in the winners circle. Winning trainer Nick Gallucci said, “Yeah, I’m always pessimistic, usually training down, but she always showed enough, especially when we started training the bikes. I was starting to get excited about her at around the start of June, I figured that we had a pretty nice filly on our hands. I had quiet confidence. I figured the only way she’d get beat is if she beat herself. And luckily, that didn’t happen and James gave her a great trip. She did what she had to do, and just keeps winning and just enjoying it.”

Right: Chantilly heads to the winner’s circle. Winning driver James MacDonald said, “Ever since this one’s come around, she gives you chills, just knowing you get to sit behind her every week. And the trip worked out great. And then when I moved her, she just exploded. Nick had asked me before, like, I could tell he was nervous, but he just said, ‘What are you thinking?’ And I said, ‘I think we got a lot of options. We can do whatever we want. We’re in a good spot, and I think we just take what the race gives us and see what happens.’ And it worked out great.”

Kicking off the Saturday night stakes quintet, the $347,000 Elegantimage Stakes featured a field of nine 3-year-old trotting fillies (after 1 scratch). Casual Breeze and Simcoe Stakes winner Drawn Impression was sent off as the 4-5 favorite over 3-1 second choice R Melina, winner of New York Sires Stakes at both Saratoga and Yonkers, and 5-1 third choice Emoji Hanover, last of 8 in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes at Pocono. 11-2 fourth choice French Champagne was quickest away through an opening quarter of 26 4/5 before R Melina took over on the backstretch through a half in 55 4/5 and 3/4 in 1:24 1/5 pressed by Drawn Impression and stalked by French Champagne. Turning for home, Drawn Impression gained a short lead but French Champagne with driver Dexter Dunn outfinished her to win by a head in 1:52 1/5. It was another 1 3/4 length back to R Melina third.

Results chart Race 6

Left: French Champagne in the winner’s circle. Winning co-owner and breeder Marvin Katz said, “She’s improved dramatically this year over last year. She was slow developing. She’s had some quirks. Ake and Sarah (Svanstedt) have done a fantastic job developing her. She hadn’t raced for a month prior to the elimination. Obviously, she was tighter tonight, and she showed it. It was a great performance. She’s been really one of the top fillies all year.” Driver Dexter Dunn added, “The gap opened up pretty good for me. And then it shut on me. So, it got a bit tight after that, but [she was] just full of trot. She trotted great.”

Right: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Drawn Impression in the post parade. The Luc Blais trainee improved her record to 7 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 third in 14 starts, earning $612,094 for owner-breeder Determination.

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