A ground-saving trip was the answer for Dream Nation ($6.20), who threaded through a seam up the pegs to narrowly win Monday night's (Aug. 2) $34,000 Preferred Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The five-year-old Archangel gelding floated forward off the gate from post 5, but was forced to retreat to fifth after being looped by Muscle Fashion (James MacDonald) en route to a :26.2 first quarter. Up the backstretch, Scott Young elected to keep Dream Nation on the inside path as Perfetto (Dagfin Henriksen) angled out from third to head outer flow just beyond a :56.1 half. With Perfetto gradually gaining, Muscle Fashion sped up on the far turn, hitting three-quarters in 1:23.3 and facing a challenge from pocket rival Treasured Tee (Doug McNair) off the home turn.
Muscle Fashion rebuffed Treasured Tee's upper-stretch bid, but Dream Nation found clear sailing up the pegs after inheriting the pocket spot and spurted through the inside to win by a half length in 1:52.3. Muscle Fashion narrowly held second over 8-5 favourite Combs Hanover (Paul MacDonell), who cascaded down the grandstand side after trailing the sextet for much of the mile.
Jacques DuPont trains 12-time winner Dream Nation for the Québécois partnership of Les Ecuries Dorleans, Ecurie CSL, Gestion C. Levesque 2005 and Marc Camirand.
To view Monday's complete results, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.