Milton, ON — Grand Circuit action makes its 2022 debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park this weekend for the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes and Graduate Series.

The Somebeachsomewhere for 3-year-old pacers is the final prep ahead of the Pepsi North America Cup eliminations on June 11. The Graduate Series for 4-year-olds makes its return to the Campbellville oval for the first time since 2019.

A group of 13 sophomore pacers have been split into a pair of Somebeachsomewhere divisions on Saturday.

The C$81,000 first division (race two) is headlined by top Pepsi NA Cup contender Pebble Beach (post seven, Todd McCarthy). The Noel Daley trainee will make his Canadian debut and his second start of the season. The son of Downbytheseaside won seven of 11 starts during his rookie season and took a mark of 1:48.4.

Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner Kolby Two Step (post four, James MacDonald) will make his season’s debut in the evening’s first division. The Tim Gillespie trainee has tuned up with a pair of qualifying efforts after a rookie season that saw him win three of six starts and bank six-figures.

SBOA Stakes runner-up Sport Secret (post two, Doug McNair) is another NA Cup eligible in the first division. The Gregg McNair trainee has already made 12 starts this year after not debuting until December of his 2-year-old season. Sport Secret has four wins and nine top-two finishes to his name.

Along with three notables mentioned above, Many Moons (post three, Sylvain Filion) is the other ‘Cup’ eligible in the field. The Tony Beaton trainee notably took a mark of 1:51.3 in a Dream Maker Series leg last season.

The first Somebeachsomewhere division is carded as race two (7:25 p.m.).

The C$80,000 second division features plenty of power, led by SBOA Stakes winner Stonebridge Helios (post five, Bob McClure). The John Pentland trainee is two for two this season and lowered his career-best to 1:50.3 with his SBOA win last Saturday. He was a Grand Circuit winner at age two, totaling four wins and nearly C$300,000 earned last season.

The namesake of the race is well-represented by a pair of standouts in the second split, Beach Glass (post two, Paul MacDonell) and Greatest Ending (post three, James MacDonald).

Beach Glass races for the connections of the legendary Somebeachsomewhere, owner/breeder Schooner II Stable, trainer Brent MacGrath and driver MacDonell. Beach Glass will make his season’s debut off a pair of qualifying victories. His rookie campaign saw a light schedule, winning three of five starts.

Greatest Ending appears to be Dr. Ian Moore’s latest 3-year-old colt star. The Somebeachsomewhere colt is two for two this season with a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes victory to his credit. Greatest Ending was kept to maiden contests last season at Mohawk Park, making just five starts with one win and four runner-up finishes.

The field for the second division is completed by Aint He Special (post one, McClure), Frozen Hanover (post four, McClure) and Magical Arthur (post six, Trevor Henry). All six horses in the field are eligible to the Pepsi North America Cup.

The second Somebeachsomewhere division is carded as race six (9:05 p.m.).

Four-year-olds ready to shine in Graduate

After missing the Mohawk Park stop the last two years due to COVID, the Graduate Series, administrated by The Meadowlands, returns with a new look.

The Graduate now features divisions for 4-year-old mares. However, the Graduate Mares Trot division only attracted four entrants for Friday’s leg and has been canceled. All horses that entered will receive points as per The Meadowlands stakes rules.

Star power is a plenty in the other three Graduate divisions. The Graduate Trot will go Friday evening with a field of seven, while Saturday’s card will feature a field of six in the Mares Pace and two eight-horse divisions for the Open Pace.

Friday’s C$93,750 Graduate Trot features the Woodbine Mohawk Park return of Venerate (post one, Andy Miller), the inaugural Mohawk Million winner.

Venerate did not flourish at age three as expected, winning just two of 10 starts. However, the Carter Pinske trainee comes into the Graduate off a season debut victory on Saturday night at The Meadowlands.

Joining Venerate in the Graduate Trot is Dees Red Delicious (post two, Dexter Dunn), Mycrownmykingdom (post three, McClure), Inaminute Hanover (post four, McClure), Incommunicado (post five, J. MacDonald), Take All Comers (post six, J. MacDonald) and Logan Park (post seven, Filion).

The Graduate Trot is race six on Friday (9:05 p.m.).

The 4-year-old pacing ranks are deep this season, providing what appears on paper to be a pair of heavyweight tilts for the Graduate Pace on Saturday evening.

The C$62,500 first division includes Little Brown Jug winner Lou’s Pearlman (post three, Yannick Gingras), Ontario Sires Stakes star and NA Cup elimination winner Bulldog Hanover (post four, Jody Jamieson) and the return of Grand Circuit winner Lawless Shadow (post seven, Mark MacDonald).

Joining Lou’s Pearlman and Bulldog Hanover, Rockyroad Hanover (post six, Dunn) and Dean B Hanover (post eight, TBA) all raced in the recently contested Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup at Flamboro.

The field is completed by leg one winner Abuckabett Hanover (post one, Tim Tetrick), American Courage (post two, Matt Kakaley) and Commanding Officer (post five, Austin Sorrie).

The first Graduate Pace division is race four (8:15 p.m.).

The star power doesn’t dim in the C$62,500 second division, but all eyes will likely be on the nearly perfect Line Drive Hanover (post three, J. MacDonald). The Anthony Beaton trainee captured the Juravinski Memorial Cup in a Canadian record 1:49 for his 11th win in 12 career starts.

Tony Alagna trainee Carbine (post eight, T. McCarthy) stamped himself a major player with a victory in the first Graduate leg on May 7 at The Meadowlands. Carbine followed that victory up with an eye-popping 1:47.4 score last Saturday at The Big M.

The second division is completed by Whichwaytothebeach (post one, Louis-Philippe Roy), Southwind Gendry (post two, Gingras), Highlandbeachsbest (post four, McClure), One Eight Hundred (post five, Dunn), Hellabalou (post six, J. MacDonald) and Bettors Donttell (post seven, Gingras).

The second Graduate Pace division is race eight (9:55 p.m.).

The C$50,000 Graduate Mares Pace will showcase a very talented group of six, including last year’s Fan Hanover winner Fire Start Hanover (post one, Dunn), two-time Ontario Sires Stakes champion Scarlett Hanover (post five, Tetrick) and multiple Grand Circuit winner Hot Mess Express (post six, A. McCarthy).

The Graduate Mares Pace has been carded as race three (7:50 p.m.).

Saturday evening’s program also includes a C$199,900 OSS Gold event for 3-year-old pacing fillies and a C$58,500 Free For All Pace.

Post time for Friday and Saturday is 7 p.m.

To download early program pages for Friday, click here.

To download early program pages for Saturday, click here.