The Grade 1 Mohawk Million is set for its sixth edition this Saturday, Sept. 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park with what on paper is the deepest field the race has ever seen.

The old saying of “they race them on the track, not paper” is true, but a quick glance at the entries for the 2025 Mohawk Million provides hopes for an epic two-year-old trot battle at the Campbellville, Ont. oval.

In recent years, prominent Sires Stakes programs have limited the meeting of the sport’s best until later in the season. This year’s Million will bring together champions and leaders from five jurisdictions: Ontario, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.

The path to the Mohawk Million started several months ago when the deadline to apply for one of 10 $50,000 slots passed in mid-February. From there, a draw was held in March to determine the slot owners from 37 parties that applied. Those lucky to be selected in the draw were left with options – race, sell, trade, or lease. When the final entries for this year’s Million were received, seven of the 10 slots had changed hands.

With the dust now settled in terms of who will compete, the focus now turns to who will prevail in the million-dollar contest.

The morning-line odds have three horses in the range of 5-2 to 7-2.

Endurance (PP6, Andrew McCarthy) is the slight 5-2 morning-line favourite. The colt has just one loss in seven starts and captured the $555,556 Kentucky Championship Series Final this past Sunday in 1:52.3. Although trained by Ohio’s Chris Beaver, Endurance will have a larger local fanbase thanks to his co-owners Bill Manes of Rockwood, Ont. and Leo Fleming of Campbellville. They share ownership with Super Endurance Stable and Mark Moger. The connections obtained their slot from Kempii Stable Inc.

Ardonne (PP3, Scott Zeron, 3-1) has already enjoyed Grade 1 success at Woodbine Mohawk Park, winning the $485,000 William Wellwood Memorial on Aug. 23 in 1:52.4. Coming off back-to-back wins, Ardonne qualified last Friday in 1:54.3 for trainer Megan Scran and owner Philip Steinberg in preparation for his biggest race to date. They acquired their slot from Brad Grant.

The last loss Ardonne suffered was a runner-up finish to Apex (PP1, Dexter Dunn) in the $312,500 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final on Aug. 2. Trained by Marcus Melander, Apex’s dominance in the Garden State also includes a victory in the $342,466 New Jersey Classic Final on Sept. 5. 

However, the biggest and most lucrative victory for Apex came last Friday in the $512,431 Grade 1 Peter Haughton Memorial at Hoosier Park, which also secured him an automatic entry in the Breeders Crown. The Haughton is the same race Apex’s stablemate, Maryland, won prior to his victory in last year’s Mohawk Million. Apex, owned by Jeff Snyder, SRF Stable, and Steve Stewart, enters via the slot of Hunterton Farms. He is 7-2 on the morning line.

Silverstein (PP2, David Miller, 8-1) most recently finished finished third in the $555,556 Kentucky Championship Series Final for trainer Matthew Burkholder and owner Dark Horse Farm LLC, who obtained their spot through Casie Coleman.

Shimmering Hanover (PP4, Louis-Philippe Roy, 20-1), the lone filly in this year’s race, most recently won an $81,862 division of the Grade 3 Champlain for trainer Luc Blais. She will race for owner Determination via the spot originally held by Bruce Northover.

Cambridge Hanover (PP5, Jason Bartlett, 20-1) was a $1-million yearling purchase at last year’s Harrisburg sale for owners Bill Pollock, who owns the slot, Bruce Areman, and Andrew Harris, who trains the colt. 

Dublin Hanover (PP7, Ake Svanstedt, 10-1) arrives at the Mohawk Million off a four-length victory in the $410,959 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Final. Owners Ake Svanstedt Inc., Tomas Andersson, and Lennart Johansson got their spot from Diane Bertrand.

Strobe Lite (PP8, James MacDonald, 10-1), the lone Ontario-sired entrant, is riding a two-race win streak after a victory in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold on Sept. 3 and a lifetime-best win in the Champlain last out for trainer Ben Baillargeon. Baillargeon and co-owners Claude Hamel, Nunzio Vena, and Glengate Farms acquired the slot of Kyle Northover.

Diabolic Hill (PP9, Todd McCarthy, 15-1) is a multiple New Jersey Sire Stakes leg winner and was third in the Aug. 2 final for trainer Annie Stoebe. Stoebe and partner Mazza Racing Stables LLC got their spot from Allister Stable.

AI (PP10, Yannick Gingras, 15-1) most recently won the $416,667 New York Sire Stakes Final for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services Inc., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. He enters via the slot of Bud Hatfield.

The stakes record for the Mohawk Million is 1:52.3, set by Maryland in last year’s event with Dexter Dunn driving for Marcus Melander. Maryland returns to this year’s Mohawk Million card as a top contender in the $615,000 Canadian Trotting Classic (Grade 1). The previous champions are T C I (David Miller, Ron Burke, 1:54.3) in 2023, Oh Well (Tim Tetrick, Melander, 1:53.4) in 2022, Venerable (Miller, Nifty Norman, 1:54.2) in 2021, and Venerate (Andrew McCarthy, Julie Miller, 1:53.2) in the inaugural edition in 2020.

The Mohawk Million is carded as Race 10. The 13-race card features five Grade 1 races: the Mohawk Million, Metro Pace, Canadian Trotting Classic, Shes A Great Lady, and Elegantimage. Post time is 6:35 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.

To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park // Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).

(Woodbine; photo of Ardonne winning on Aug. 23)