Woodbine Mohawk Park is set to resume live racing, without spectators, this weekend beginning with a 10-race card on Friday night (June 5).
Racing was suspended at the Campbellville oval following a card on March 19. After a 78-day hiatus, Mohawk Park will get back down to business with strict COVID-19 protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of participants, officials and staff. Spectators will not be permitted until further notice.
The opening weekend will feature back-to-back 10-race cards (Friday and Saturday), highlighted by a Jackpot Hi-5 mandatory payout on Saturday’s final race. The feature race on each card will be a Preferred Pace, as the ladies will be in the spotlight Friday and the boys on Saturday.
Full fields are the story of the weekend, as the entry box was flooded with eager horsepeople ready to get back to racing. Woodbine will immediately launch into a five-nights-a-week schedule following opening weekend with live racing every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
A breakdown of what to watch for this weekend at Mohawk Park appears below.
JACKPOT HI-5 MANDATORY PAYOUT (Saturday)
Woodbine Mohawk Park will offer a mandatory payout on the Jackpot Hi-5 during opening weekend. The carryover sits at $236,338.67 following the last Jackpot Hi-5 on March 19.
The wager will be suspended on Friday night in preparation for Saturday’s mandatory payout.
The Jackpot Hi-5 mandatory payout race will be Race 10 on Saturday with an overflow field of 11 pacers. The most recent Jackpot Hi-5 mandatory payouts on February 15, 2020 and December 21, 2019 each saw the ‘new money’ wagered more than double the amount of the carryover. This Saturday’s carryover is the highest for a mandatory payout in more than a year.
For more Jackpot Hi-5 information, click here.
ONTARIO SIRES STAKES GRADS READY FOR OLDER RANKS (Friday)
Friday evening’s card will be headlined by a $32,000 Mares Preferred Pace, and last season’s Ontario Sires Stakes stars Boadicea (trained by Bill Budd) and Sunny Dee (Bob McIntosh) will be in the mix. The now four-year-olds clashed many times last season, and it was Boadicea (PP2) that captured the OSS Super Final, while Sunny Dee (PP7) was named the category's O’Brien Award winner. The OSS grads met up in a qualifier last Friday, which saw Sunny Dee prevail by a nose.
Another four-year-old that was making a name for herself prior to the shutdown is So Much More. The Don Beatson trainee has won six of her last 11 starts, and four of those wins came at the Preferred level. Her last start came against the boys in the Preferred. She is the 3-1 morning-line choice.
HIGH HOPES FOR PEPSI NORTH AMERICA CUP ELIGIBLES (Saturday)
June would normally be the month of the Pepsi North America Cup, but with Canada’s most prestigious harness race pushed back to August 29, several eligibles will start their journey this Saturday night. The evening’s 7th Race will feature Ontario’s champion two-year-old versus one of New York’s finest.
Dr. Ian Moore trainee Tattoo Artist (PP1) captured last year’s OSS Super Final as part of a five for eight season with $240,405 earned. The son of Hes Watch qualified on April 17 at Moore’s winter base, Florida's Southern Oaks Training Center, where he paced a mile in 1:52.4 (with a final quarter in :28).
Blake MacIntosh trainee Groovy Joe (PP6) was a winner during last Thursday’s qualifiers at Mohawk, as he stopped the clock in 1:53 (final quarter :26.2). The son of Roll With Joe won seven of 10 starts as a rookie and never finished outside of the top two. He dominated in New York and ultimately finished second in the NYSS Championship to finish with $230,845 in earnings.
A list of more Pepsi North America Cup eligible horses that will be racing Saturday appears below.
Race 2: Ys Mathis (PP7, Richard Moreau)
Race 7: Sports Obsession (PP1, Carl Jamieson)
Race 7: Beach Blanket Book (PP4, Blake MacIntosh)
Race 7: Denali Seelster (PP9, Dr. Ian Moore)
HEAVYWEIGHTS BATTLE IN PREFERRED (Saturday)
Preferred Pace mainstay Easy Lover Hanover (PP1) is one of seven older pacers that will line up in Saturday’s $36,000 feature. The Ben Wallace-trained seven-year-old has earned more than $1.1 million in his career, and for another winter was a major player in the Preferred. Although he didn’t rack up as many wins this past winter, Easy Lover Hanover has been right there, as he finished second in each of his last four starts.
The new face to Preferred action is Century Farroh (PP4), who will be making his four-year-old debut. The Moore trainee had a tremendous sophomore season, as he won 12 of his 16 starts and banked over $700,000. He posted multiple Grand Circuit victories courtesy of scores in the Somebeachsomewhere, Simcoe and Jennas Beach Boy.
TOP DRIVERS AND TRAINERS
Leading Drivers (Wins) at Mohawk Park since January 1, 2020:
Doug McNair – 69 (20.1%)
Jody Jamieson – 42 (16.9%)
Sylvain Filion – 40 (12.2%)
Bob McClure – 38 (13.4%)
Louis Philippe Roy – 37 (14.4%)
Trevor Henry – 37 (12.3%)
Jonathan Drury – 36 (11.7%)
James MacDonald – 27 (9.4%)
Phil Hudon – 19 (7.5%)
Chris Christoforou – 18 (8.6%)
Leading Trainers (Wins) at Mohawk Park since January 1, 2020:
Richard Moreau – 50 (15.1%)
Carmen Auciello – 36 (12.8%)
Ben Baillargeon – 20 (20.8%)
Patrick Shepherd – 13 (23.5%)
Mark Goddard – 12 (10.9%)
Rod Boyd – 11 (14.1%)
Bill Budd – 9 (14.1%)
Shawn Steacy – 9 (16.1%)
Jodie Cullen – 9 (14.8)
WINNING POST POSITIONS
Top Post Positions (Pace) since January 1, 2020:
Post 6 – 66 for 309 (21.4%)
Post 5 – 47 for 311 (15.1%)
Post 9 – 18 for 144 (12.5%)
Post 7 – 34 for 291 (11.7%)
Post 1 – 35 for 311 (11.3%)
Top Post Positions (Trot) since January 1, 2020:
Post 6 – 24 for 132 (18.2%)
Post 5 – 22 for 132 (16.7%)
Post 8 – 13 for 105 (12.4%)
Post 4 – 16 for 132 (12.1%)
Post 2 & 3 – 14 for 132 (10.6%)
WAGERING MENU
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Available All Races: Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta
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Rolling Wagers: Daily Double and Pick-3
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Guarantees: $75,000 Early Pick-5 (Race 1)
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Pick-4: Early Pick-4 starts on Race 4 and Late Pick-4 starts on Race 7
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Pick-5: Early Pick-5 ($75,000) starts on Race 1 and Late Pick-5 starts on Race 6
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Jackpot Hi-5: No Hi-5 wagering on Friday. Mandatory Payout set for Saturday
To view the harness racing entries for Friday at Mohawk, click the following link: Friday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at Mohawk, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Woodbine Entertainment)