Every once in a while, a star horse falls through the cracks and into someone's proverbial lap. That analogy definitely appears to hold true for the morning line choice in the 2025 Mohawk Million, Kentucky Sires Stakes champion Endurance.
In the opening session of the 2024 Black Book Yearling Sale, yearlings averaged more than $153,000 ($110,000 USD). The sale topper was million-dollar yearling Cambridge Hanover — the half-brother to Mohawk Million winner Maryland, who would sweep divisional honours in voting conducted later that year. Apex, a son of Walner out of the great Mission Brief, sold for $729,167 ($525,000 USD) and was the second highest priced trotting colt on the opening day in Harrisburg.
At the other end of that sale spectrum was Endurance, a colt from the first crop of Captain Corey out of the Muscle Massive mare Love Session. He sold for $19,444 ($14,000 USD) to fetch the third lowest amount for a trotting colt offered during that session.
Now, some 10 months later, those three colts who were a part of that sale day comprise 30 per cent of the Mohawk Million field on the richest day in Canadian harness racing. The million-dollar Grade 1 event headlines a superstar card on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park that also features the G1 Metro Pace, G1 Canadian Trotting Classic and G1 Elegantimage.
Back to Endurance, whose dam Love Session is a half-sister to the likes of Triumphant Caviar, Prayer Session and Centurion ATM — each $700,000-winning trotters, two of which became commercial stallions. But the key here is Triumphant Caviar, who was selected as a yearling by trainer Chris Beaver in 2007 and purchased in Harrisburg for $13,000. Beaver conditioned the son of SJs Caviar throughout his tremendous career and the stallion retired with a mark of 1:51.4 taken at Mohawk Racetrack — a Canadian record at the time — and a world record of 1:54.2h on a half-mile track.
Beaver collared Endurance for $1,000 more than Triumphant Caviar, but keep in mind that Endurance sold during the notoriously strong first day of the Harrisburg sale — typically where the likely overall sale topper is listed — whereas Triumphant Caviar had a hip number in the 900s and sold in the third session.
The offer then went to some of Beaver's longtime owners for a piece of this promising colt. That's how co-owner Bill Manes of Rockwood, Ont. got involved. Manes, who has partnered with Beaver on horses the likes of Il Sogno Dream, Spaaaanzano and Caviar Gold, went in for a piece along with Leo Fleming of Campbellville and Mark Moger of Florida. Early reports on Endurance seemed promising, but early reports on many freshmen have the same sentiment.
"At the end of March, Chris said to me, 'I don't know how good this colt is, but he's probably one of the best colts I've had,'" Manes told Trot Insider. "And I'm saying, 'How do you know? He's going in 2:20.'"
The trajectory is certainly there for Endurance, but the proof is in the pudding. Thus far, Endurance has posted six wins in seven starts, victorious in his last six after a fourth-place finish on debut at Oak Grove on June 23.
"The first start he told Andrew [driver McCarthy], 'You can take him to the front, you can sit outside, you can go to the back. Just don't get boxed in.' He got boxed in," stated Manes. "And that was his only defeat."
Perfectly mannered, easy on himself and a great shipper, Endurance earned himself a trip north of the border as a sure contender for the Mohawk Million should a spot become available.
"Probably about a month ago," said Manes when asked about the initial Mohawk Million conversations. "Kemmpi Farms got a hold of Chris, and they were interested probably around his third or fourth start, but they would let us know two or three weeks prior....and we worked out a deal with them."
As of press time, Manes considers Il Sogno Dream the best horse he's been associated with during his time as a Standardbred owner. The millionaire son of Cantab Hall won 33 races and banked more than $1.2 million in his career before retiring to stallion duty. Endurance sits solidly in the pocket second, and is poised to overtake.
"Come Sunday, he could be number one," said Manes with a laugh. "I've had a lot of discussions with Chris. When we had Il Sogno Dream, we were chasing Trixton, Nuncio and Father Patrick. Now we're the one being chased. And with what we've been racing against, no one can keep up."
That statement isn't fabrication, it's fact. And it's why Endurance — a winner of $543,589 from his seven starts with a mark of 1:52.3 — is the 5-2 favourite for Saturday's million-dollar main event. He starts from post six for driver Andy McCarthy as the morning line choice ahead of 2025 William Wellwood Memorial winner Ardonne (PP3, Scott Zeron, 3-1) and 2025 Peter Haughton Memorial winner Apex (PP1, Dexter Dunn, 7-2).
"I've had a lot of trainers, and Chris can work with a lot of flaws...he can make a lot of flaws work. But this guy, he has no flaws," noted Manes. "And Andy says he has no idea where the bottom is. Like, no idea."
Whether or not we see the bottom of Endurance on Saturday remains to be seen.
"I just hope he stays healthy, and if he races like he's raced, he should be fine."
The Mohawk Million is carded as Race 10. First post time for the 13-race card 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).
(Standardbred Canada)