Only a Million?
Woodbine Mohawk Park delivers a tremendous Saturday night of harness racing, headlined by the $1 million Mohawk Million in Race 10. The card also features the $1 million Metro Pace, the Canadian Trotting Classic, the Elegantimage Final, and the She’s A Great Lady Final.
My selections tonight are a combination of recent performance, class, speed, and potential value. There are some serious horses on this card, but with the competition this deep, trips and racing luck could make all the difference.
Here are my selections for the first 10 races.
Race 1 – 9 / 5 / 6
#9 Wannabeabigstar ML 7/2: Coming off a 1:49.4 victory at Mohawk last Sunday and has been consistently competitive at this claiming level.
#5 Smiles For Miles: Finished second behind my top selection last week after winning back-to-back races at Grand River, making him a legitimate contender again.
Race 2 – 3 / 7 / 8
#3 Jack Panic ML – 9/2: Has already earned over $93,000 this season and brings a 1:49.1 lifetime mark into another competitive Mohawk field.
#7 Silverwalls: Has been facing tougher company, including a 1:48.4 performance at Mohawk in late August, and could offer some value at 6-1 on the morning line.
Race 3 – 9 / 1 / 8
#9 Jordy N – ML 6/1: This veteran has earned over $104,000 this season and brings plenty of experience against quality competition at Mohawk.
#1 Im The Falcon N: Has three wins from 11 starts this season and gets the inside post with Travis Cullen, who should have an opportunity to work out a favorable trip.
Race 4 – 2 / 7 / 1
#2 Johnny Angel – ML 3/1: Four wins and five second-place finishes from 15 starts this season make him one of the more consistent performers in this field.
#7 Barracuda Hanover: Finished a close second in Ontario Sires Stakes competition at Kawartha Downs and has been knocking on the door with five runner-up finishes this year.
Race 5 – 5 / 8 / 2
#5 Sugar Man – ML 10/1: Has already proven he belongs with this company, including a 1:47.4 victory against Open competition at Mohawk on September 5.
#8 Prince Hal Hanover: A millionaire several times over, this high-class pacer finished second in the Canadian Pacing Derby and brings plenty of stakes experience into tonight’s Free For All.
Race 6 – 10 / 5 / 6
$400,000 Elegantimage Final
#10 Busy Miss Lissy S – ML 8/1: Finished third in her elimination after making a strong move into contention and has the class to overcome that outside post with the right trip.
#5 Kngtstlkrs Games: Won her Elegantimage elimination in 1:51.2 and has now won two consecutive starts at Mohawk, making her a serious player in the final.
Race 7 – 9 / 3 / 10
$510,000 She’s A Great Lady Final
#9 Jersey Bulldog – ML 9/2: Won her Champlain division in 1:51.1 and has four victories from nine starts in an impressive freshman campaign.
#3 Money Carlo: Has finished in the money in seven of eight starts, including a third-place finish behind Waves Of Fortune in Ontario Sires Stakes competition.
Race 8 – 6 / 3 / 5
$1 Million Metro Pace Final
#6 Eastie Boy – ML 6/1: The Burke trainee brings three wins and over $247,000 in earnings into the Metro after winning a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event in 1:50.2.
#3 Shalom Hanover: Seven starts, seven wins, and over $452,000 in earnings — this undefeated colt has done absolutely nothing wrong and will be extremely difficult to beat.
Race 9 – 3 / 8 / 4
$590,000 Canadian Trotting Classic Final
#3 Apex – ML 3/5: With over $2.3 million in lifetime earnings and five wins from seven starts this season, this Hambletonian-winning colt brings championship credentials into tonight’s final.
#8 Nix Nacken: A six-time career winner with a 1:50 lifetime mark who captured the Beal Consolation in 1:51 and has the speed to compete with these.
Race 10 – 10 / 5 / 9
$1 Million Mohawk Million
#10 Access Now – ML 9/2: Comes into the Mohawk Million with two wins and two seconds from seven starts, including a 1:53.4 victory in the Champlain Stakes.
#5 Wrong Sounds Right: Four wins from six starts, including a 1:51.4 lifetime mark at The Meadowlands, make this colt a serious threat in the million-dollar final.
Final Thoughts
Tonight’s Mohawk card is exactly what harness racing needs, top-class horses, million-dollar purses, outstanding competition, and plenty of opportunities for handicappers to find a price.
I’m particularly interested in seeing how the Metro Pace develops with the undefeated Shalom Hanover facing another talented group of youngsters. And, of course, the Mohawk Million should be a fantastic race to finish our HC contest.
Good luck to everyone playing tonight. Join us in the chat, share your selections, and enjoy one of the biggest nights of harness racing this season!
Frank “Six Sense” Jovine
