Milton, ON — Top-level Grand Circuit action for harness racing’s young and veteran performers takes over Woodbine Mohawk Park this weekend.
Mohawk will be major race central for the next five weeks. This Saturday’s (Aug. 29) William Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful Way are two of nine Grade 1 finals that will be held at Ontario’s premier Standardbred racing venue through Sept. 26. That timeframe also includes several more graded stakes events.
The Wellwood and Peaceful Way are the two main events for this Saturday’s card and are complimented by the Nassagaweya (G3), Eternal Camnation (G3), and eliminations for the Canadian Pacing Derby (G1). The Maple Leaf Trot (G1) eliminations will take place a night earlier, on Friday’s (Aug. 28) 13-race card.
Below is a breakdown of this weekend’s William Wellwood Memorial, Peaceful Way, Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations, and Maple Leaf Trot eliminations.
William Wellwood Memorial (G1) – C$570,000 – Saturday – Race 9
Last year’s winning trainers of Mohawk’s C$1 million races for 2-year-old races will clash in the William Wellwood Memorial, for 2-year-old trotters.
Trainer Dr. Ian Moore captured the 2025 Metro Pace (G1) with Horse of the Year Beau Jangles and is now front and center on the trotting side with elimination winner Detonater Hanover. Meanwhile, Marcus Melander took home another title in the 2025 Mohawk Million with Apex and now looks to win his third Wellwood trophy with elimination winner Gios Hope.
Detonater Hanover stopped the clock in his elimination in a career best 1:52.3, while Gios Hope moved to the lead in the second quarter of his split and trotted to a new mark of 1:54.2.
Tyler Moore has driven Detonater Hanover in all five career outings, posting three wins and a second. Dexter Dunn has driven Gios Hope in all four starts, scoring three wins and a third.
Melander trainee Top Reacher and Cameron Capone student Ocean Storm were both within a half length of Detonater Hanover last Friday. Access Now, trained by Luc Blais, was fourth, only beaten a length in the fast mile.
Free Scottie was runner-up to Gios Hope in his elimination and gives Melander three shots for another Wellwood crown.
The field for the Grade 1 William Wellwood Memorial is listed below:
1 – Access Now (McClure/Blais)
2 – Detonater Hanover (T. Moore/I. Moore)
3 – Gios Hope (Dunn/Melander)
4 – Kountry Cantab (Tr. Henry/Lagace)
5 – Top Reacher (S. Zeron/Melander)
6 – Ocean Storm (Gingras/Capone)
7 – Data Breach (McClure/Blais)
8 – Free Scottie (J. MacDonald/Melander)
9 – Yankee Boss (Gingras/Svanstedt)
10 – The Italian Job (T. McCarthy/R. Zeron)
AE – Honcho (D. McNair/G. McNair)
Peaceful Way (G1) – $425,000 – Saturday – Race 7
The Melander barn has another major chance in the Peaceful Way, for 2-year-old trotting fillies, sending out the one-two punch of elimination winner Athenas Girl and runner-up Loves Passion.
Athenas Girl unleashed a :26.4 final quarter to win her elimination for driver Dexter Dunn in 1:54. Loves Passion and Dunn were a half length short to the strong rallying Dataprivacy for driver Bob McClure and trainer Luc Blais in the other split, which was timed in 1:54.4.
Melander has yet to win the Peaceful Way, while Blais has trained a pair of winners in the event (Donna Soprano, Drawn Impression).
The field for the Peaceful Way is listed below:
1 – Nevis Peak (Gingras/Burke)
2 – Loves Passion (J. MacDonald/Melander)
3 – Verily (Roy/Crone)
4 – Creamy Armitage (Bartlett/Toscano)
5 – Dataprivacy (McClure/Blais)
6 – Athenas Girl (Dunn/Melander)
7 – Beauts Cabaret (D. McNair/S. Bossence)
8 – Elusive Station (T. McCarthy/Mitchell)
9 – City Of Light (S. Zeron/N. Takter)
10 – Major Contender (J. Jamieson/C. Jamieson)
AE – Treasure King (J. Jamieson/C. Jamieson)
Canadian Pacing Derby – Eliminations – Saturday – Races 5 and 8
Canada’s premier race for open pacers will see 18 heavyweights battling over two eliminations to qualify for the rich Grade 1 final on Sept. 5.
Supplemental entry Best Chip leads the first elimination for trainer Joe Bongiorno. The 4-year-old is currently the fastest horse in North America this season after a sizzling 1:46.1 victory on Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands.
Best Chip is taking his biggest step up to date by entering the Canadian Pacing Derby. He holds a seasonal record of seven wins from 12 starts, with two wins faster than 1:47.
The first elimination also features local favorite Crack Shot for trainer Gregg McNair and 2023 Pacing Derby runner-up Bythemissal for trainer Ron Burke. A top-five finish Saturday would earn Bythemissal his third Pacing Derby appearance.
Powerhouse Ervin Hanover will compete in the second elimination. The Dave Menary-trained 6-year-old was runner-up in last year’s final and has followed up his award-winning 2025 season with four wins in five starts this year.
Moore trainee Prince Hal Hanover will look to give his trainer a chance at a second Pacing Derby win after Tattoo Artist won in 2023. Lou Hill, who races for trainer Per Engblom, is another notable entrant in the second split. He has posted nine wins and five seconds in 16 starts this season.
The fields for the Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations are listed below:
Elimination #1
1 – Crack Shot (D. McNair/G. McNair)
2 – Fallout (R. Wrenn/Burke)
3 – Coaches Corner (Bartlett/Engblom)
4 – Best Chip (Tetrick/Bongiorno)
5 – Huntinthelastdolar (Bartlett/Engblom)
6 – For Once Inmy Life (J. Stratton/C. Stratton)
7 – Bythemissal (R. Wrenn/Burke)
8 – Fusion (J. Jamieson/Luther)
9 – Oakwood Ardan IR (J. MacDonald/Cleary)
Elimination #2
1 – Women Layer (D. McNair/V. Morgan)
2 – Clever Cody (Ebersole/Lecomte)
3 – Calicojack Hanover (McClure/Blais)
4 – Lou Hill (Gingras/Engblom)
5 – Ayeaye Captain Deo (McClure/Merner)
6 – Harrisburg Heist (Gingras/Burke)
7 – Ervin Hanover (Dunn/Menary)
8 – Swingtown (Gingras/Burke)
9 – Prince Hal Hanover (T. McCarthy/Dr. Moore)
Maple Leaf Trot – Eliminations – Friday – Races 7 and 10
Woodbine’s marquee races for open trotters has attracted 13 entrants for this Friday’s eliminations.
Defending champion Lexus Kody will go forward in the first elimination for regular driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke. The 8-year-old gelding has won three of seven starts this season after a million-dollar campaign in 2025.
The first split also sees Nancy Takter trainee French Wine return to the site of his biggest win. The 6-year-old captured the Breeders Crown Open Trot (G1) last October at the Campbellville oval. He has yet to taste victory this season in only three starts.
Four-year-old mare Yo Tillie will notably take on the boys in the first Maple Leaf Trot elimination for trainer Andrew Harris. She’s won three of seven this season after a near perfect 11-for-12 sophomore season.
The second elimination is a heavyweight tilt with Canada’s best open trotters, Logan Park and Emoticon Legacy, meeting up with U.S. powerhouse Super Chapter and the ultra-consistent Antognoni S.
Kyle Fellows trainee Logan Park has won seven of 11 starts this season, while Blaie trainee Emoticon Legacy has met Logan Park in all four of his starts this season, posting a win and three seconds.
The 8-year-old Logan Park will look to secure his fourth Maple Leaf Trot final appearance, while 4-year-old Emoticon Legacy gets his first major challenge against the sport’s top open trotters.
The Marcus Melander-trained Super Chapter has adjusted well in his 4-year-old season to older rivals. After making his first four starts against trotters his own age, Super Chapter delivered a victory in the Cashman Memorial (G1) on Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands.
Swedish import Antognoni S makes his Canadian debut for trainer Ron Burke and co-owner/driver Yannick Gingras. The 6-year-old gelding has won six of eight starts this season, with his only losses being second-place efforts. Overall, Antognoni S has won 22 of 32 starts since arriving in North America.
The fields for Friday’s Maple Leaf Trot eliminations are listed below:
Elimination #1
1 – Osceola (D. McNair/G. McNair)
2 – Yo Tillie (T. McCarthy/Harris)
3 – Lexus Kody (Gingras/Burke)
4 – Aetos Kronos S (Dunn/Melander)
5 – Private Access (J. MacDonald/Blais)
6 – French Wine (Bartlett/N. Takter)
Elimination #2
1 – Antognoni S (Gingras/Burke)
2 – Emoticon Legacy (McClure/Blais)
3 – Up Your Deo (Tetrick/Svanstedt)
4 – Logan Park (D. McNair/K. Fellows)
5 – Super Chapter (Dunn/Melander)
6 – Go Dog Go (S. Zeron/C. Pinske)
7 – Hasty Bid (J. MacDonald/P. MacDonald)
Post time for Friday’s card is 6:30 p.m., while Saturday’s card will have a start time of 6:45 p.m.