When owner Bill Peshina bought Irish-bred pacer Oakwood Ardan IR in late December, he said he was just hoping for a nice racehorse he could watch every week and be proud of.

Eight months and 10 wins later, Peshina added, “He’s sure done that for me.”

Oakwood Ardan, trained by Robert Cleary, has finished worse than second only once in 15 races since arriving from Great Britain last fall. The five-year-old gelding will make his next start Saturday in the $540,000 Canadian Pacing Derby at Woodbine Mohawk Park, which will mark his first appearance in a Grand Circuit stakes event. He is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line in a field of 11.

“It’s amazing the progress the horse has made,” said Cleary, who has trained Oakwood Ardan since his arrival in the U.S., first for the horse’s previous overseas connections and then for Peshina’s Royal Wire Products since the sale. “You could tell when training him that he had a big engine and could carry speed. You could tell he wanted to be a good horse right off the bat.

“It wasn’t like he was real flashy, but you could feel the power there. And you could tell he really wanted to do his job. He wants to do his job probably more than any other horse I’ve ever been around. The only thing he wants to do when he goes to race is win. He’s not looking for excuses, he wants to get it done.”

Oakwood Ardan, a half-brother to Grand Circuit-winner Ideal Cowboy, won his first six races in the U.S., all at The Meadowlands, before a second-place finish by a neck snapped his streak. Following a two-month respite, the son of Sweet Lou-Trend Setter returned to win three consecutive starts at the Big M, then headed to Mohawk for the Gold Cup Invitational, where he finished fifth despite a :25.4 last quarter mile as he attempted to rally from eighth in the nine-horse field.

He bounced back with two more victories at The Meadowlands, then returned to Mohawk for his two most recent races, both second-place finishes in the Preferred.

Last week, Oakwood Ardan was nipped by a nose by Abuckabett Hanover (the 5-2 morning-line favourite in the Canadian Pacing Derby) after providing first-over cover to his rival around the final turn and into the stretch.

“I would have liked an easier start going into the final, but he still raced good,” Cleary said. “He’s a horse with such a good attitude. All he wants to do is please you and win. He’s got speed, determination, and ability. He’s really been the full package. He’s just a real pleasure to be around.”

Oakwood Ardan has raced from off the pace in all 15 of his North American starts and come home with a last quarter of :26 or faster on eight occasions. He has come home in :26.2 or quicker in 10 of his past 11 races.

“I like the way he can finish a race,” Peshina said. “That’s the biggest thing. That’s really what I like to see.”

Oakwood Ardan and regular driver Andy McCarthy will start the Canadian Pacing Derby from post one. Abuckabett Hanover, a six-year-old son of Betting Line-All Tucked Up who counts the Dave Brower Memorial and William R. Haughton Memorial among his victories this year, will leave from post six with Dexter Dunn in the sulky for trainer Andrew Harris. Oakwood Ardan was eligible to the Brower and Haughton but did not draw into the fields, which were based on 2023-2024 earnings.

Taurasi, who has won 11 of 17 races this year including the Aug. 17 Preferred at Mohawk in his most recent start, is the 4-1 third choice. The five-year-old son of Racing Hill-Voluminous will start from post 11 with Doug McNair driving for Gregg McNair. Four-year-old Voukefalas, the Graduate Series champion, is 9-2 and will leave from post nine. Jordan Stratton will drive the son of Lazarus N-Inittowinafortune for Mike Russo.

“We’ll see what happens Saturday,” Peshina said. “I’m sure (Oakwood Ardan) will do the best he can. He’s a very nice horse and Robert has done a real nice job with him. Like always, we hope he comes through the race safely, and everybody else also. We’ll just hope for the best.”

The Canadian Pacing Derby will share the spotlight Saturday with the $600,000 Maple Leaf Trot for older trotters at Mohawk. Periculum, who won his Maple Leaf Trot elimination by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:51.2 is the 9-5 morning-line favourite. Scott Zeron will drive the five-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Amour Heiress from post five for trainer Marcus Melander.

The 2024 Canadian Pacing Derby is the eighth race on Saturday, with a first post time of 7:10 p.m. To view the full entries for Saturday's card of harness racing, click one of the following links:

• Woodbine Mohawk Park - Saturday Preview -  Saturday Entries - Saturday Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).

(USTA)