Trot Insider has learned that the first winner of the Mohawk Million, 2020 Dan Patch Award winner and millionaire trotter Venerate, has been retired and will stand at stud for the 2025 breeding season.
A son of French stallion Love You out of the Muscle Hill mare Peaceful Kemp, Venerate was originally campaigned by Julie Miller through his first three seasons. His 5-0-3 summary from 10 outings as a freshman solidified divisional honours as a two-year-old, when his victories included an elimination of the Breeders Crown, the Kentucky Sires Stakes final and the inaugural Mohawk Million at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Purchased by a group that included trainer Marcus Melander at the end of his four-year-old season, Venerate captured the 2023 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial at The Meadowlands and 2024 Maxie Lee Invitational at Harrah's Philadelphia for his current connections. That 1:50.1 winning effort at Harrah's Philadelphia equalled his lifetime mark taken in the Cutler, and stands as the fastest mile ever trotted over that five-eighths mile oval.
Venerate's career summary stands at 13-5-7 in 47 starts with $1,423,050 in earnings. Melander confirmed to Trot Insider that Venerate has been retired and will stand stud in 2025 at Sweden's Broline Stud.
(Standardbred Canada)