Grand Circuit-Mania set to hit Woodbine Mohawk

The annual late-summer Grand Circuit season at Woodbine Mohawk Park is set to kick-off this Friday and Saturday.

The Casual Breeze Stakes, plus a pair of Opens, will launch the busy weekend on Friday, while the William Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful Way finals will be the headlined events on a Saturday that includes the Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations, Nassagaweya and Eternal Camnation.

The $665,000 William Wellwood Memorial for two-year-old trotters and $362,000 Peaceful Way for two-year-old filly trotters are the main events for Saturday’s 12-race card.

The rich Wellwood Memorial also comes with the added incentive of the winner receiving the last slot in the Mohawk Million.

Lindy Farms will send out a strong one-two punch in elimination winners Winners Bet (PP4, Dexter Dunn) and International Man (PP6, Yannick Gingras). The Domenico Cecere trainees each picked up their second win of the season last Saturday.

Cecere is well-represented, but trainer John Bax will do him one better by sending out three starters in Saturday’s final. Elimination winner Oh Look Magic (PP5, James MacDonald) leads the Bax trio, which is completed by Southwind Coors (PP8, Mike Saftic) and Snowpiercer (PP9, Paul MacDonell).

Bax’s son, Matt, drove Oh Look Magic to victory in the elimination, posting the fastest mile of 1:55.1. Team Bax has listed Woodbine’s leading driver James MacDonald for Saturday’s race.

The Wellwood Memorial is carded as Race 10.

1 – French Wine (Andy Miller/Julie Miller)
2 – Ghostly Casper (Sylvain Filion/Ben Baillargeon)
3 – Gaines Hanover (Louis-Philippe Roy/Richard Moreau)
4 – Winners Bet (Dexter Dunn/Domenico Cecere)
5 – Oh Look Magic (James MacDonald/John Bax)
6 – International Man (Yannick Gingras/Domenico Cecere)
7 – Tuscan Prince (Bob McClure/Luc Blais)
8 – Southwind Coors (Mike Saftic/John Bax)
9 – Snowpiercer (Paul MacDonell/John Bax)
10 – Dahlquist Hanover (Trevor Henry/Desiree Jones)