Many of the brightest stars of the sport will be in the spotlight this weekend at Woodbine Mohawk Park, as the oval plays host to a number of Grand Circuit events on Friday and Saturday evening.
The stakes smorgasbord starts with three-year-old trotting fillies sparring in a set of Casual Breeze divisions on Friday evening.
Fresh off of her win in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for Team Allard, When Dovescry figures to get a lot of attention in her $83,123 assignment.
The daughter of Muscle Hill-Cedar Dove trotted to a 1:50.2 triumph to win that major event, and she has since won a qualifier at Pocono Downs in 1:56.3 in preparation for her return to the races.
The career winner of $576,250 will take on a number of solid-looking foes including the Ohio Sires Stakes sensation from the stable of trainer Bob McIntosh, Only Take Cash.
The $83,123 second division features a rematch of the top two finishers from last weekend’s Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial, The Ice Dutchess and Evident Beauty.
The Ice Dutchess has put together back-to-back winning efforts for trainer Nancy Johansson, who watched the daughter of Muscle Hill-The Ice Queen front-step her way to a 1:52.4 score in the Zweig. The lion’s share of the purse from that event bumped her career earnings over $600,000.
Evident Beauty came on strong to finish second in that contest after making a break and finishing up the track in her previous outing – the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks. The Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman trainee has gone 4-for-8 this season while banking close to $240,000. She’s stashed away more than $500,000 to date.
Saturday’s card features a mix of two-year-old talent in the Eternal Camnation and Nassagaweya Stakes, while older trotters butt heads in a set of eliminations for the Maple Leaf Trot.
Atlanta will look to rebound from a sub-par performance in the $132,000 Joie De Vie on August 11 for trainer Ron Burke and driver Yannick Gingras. The four-year-old daughter of Chapter Seven-Hemi Blue Chip will try to add to her $1.6 million bankroll, and she’ll do so at the scene of her Canadian record-setting performance in this June’s Armbro Flight Final.
Speeding Spur N figures to get a lot of attention, as well, after an impressive triumph in the $148,000 Crawford Farms on August 11 for trainer Linda Toscano. The eight-year-old son of Pegasus Spur-Dellas Speed rallied to win in 1:52.4 while improving his 2019 record to 2-3-0 from nine tries. The 28-time winner will be looking to add to his $881,562 bankroll.
Guardian Angel AS also figures to be a force to be reckoned with in that first elimination for trainer Anette Lorentzon. The five-year-old son of Archangel-Provide AS has won five of eight starts this season include wins in rich events such as the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot on July 28 and the $175,000 Cleveland Trotting Classic on June 29.
Crystal Fashion figures to get a lot of hype in the second elimination thanks to back-to-back wins for trainer Jim Campbell. The four-year-old son of Cantab Hall-Window Willow rallied to a 1:50 triumph in the $280,000 John Cashman Memorial and the $450,000 Hambletonian Maturity. The 17-time winner enters Saturday’s assignment with a cash stash that stands at $1,754,859.
He’ll have his work cut out for him, however, as he takes on a pair of triple millionaires in Marion Marauder and Hannelore Hanover in addition to a trio of millionaires in Emoticon Hanover, Manchego and Six Pack.
Freshman pacing fillies will go at it in a set of Eternal Camnation divisions, with Alicorn headlining her $112,239 assignment for the tandem of driver Louis Philippe Roy and trainer Chantal Mitchell. The daughter of Bettors Delight-Mythical, who broke but still finished second in the $157,500 final of the Battle Of The Belles, has manufactured a 2-2-0 record from five tries while stashing away earnings of $107,170 to date.
Reflect With Me will look to keep the ball rolling for trainer Tony Alagna in the $112,239 second division. Andrew McCarthy guided the daughter of Captaintreacherous-Remember When to a 1:50.3 score in the $50,000 final of the Whenuwishuponastar Series on August 13.
She’ll square off with the streaking Karma Seelster, who enters Saturday’s assignment riding a three-race winning streak for Team McNair. The daughter of Sportswriter-Kiddie Cocktail swept the Battle Of The Belles before returning to Mohawk Park for a sharp victory in a $72,267 OSS Gold Series division. She’ll try to bolster an already impressive resume that reads 3-1-1 from five tries. Her lifetime earnings going into Saturday’s assignment sits at $155,251.
The rookie pacing colts and geldings are also in town for the Nassagaweya Stakes, and that event will feature a single division for a solid purse of $228,100.
Trainer Tony Alagna will send out a three-headed monster which includes Capt Midnight, who dazzled fans at Mohawk Park on August 12 when he froze the teletimer in 1:49.4 to win the $50,000 final of the Dream Maker Series. The son of Captaintreacherous-It Was Fascination is 2-for-4 to kick off his career.
His stablemate, Captain Nemo has grabbed the runner-up award in all four of his assignments, including his narrow loss to Capt Midnight in the Dream Maker Series.
Alagna’s triple team will also include Captain Kirk, who turned in an impressive rally in deep stretch to finish third in the final of the Dream Maker Series. The son of Captaintreacherous-Aria Hanover has put together a 1-0-3 record from five tries this season.
To view entries for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Entries – Woodbine Mohawk Park.
To view entries for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Woodbine Mohawk Park.