Woodbine Mohawk Park hosts Grand Circuit action

Grand Circuit racing will take place at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday (Aug. 24).

The lucrative Saturday card features the C$575,000 William Wellwood Memorial final for 2-year-old male trotters and the C$390,000 Peaceful Way final for 2-year-old filly trotters. Also on Saturday is a single division in the C$230,000 Nassagaweya for 2-year-old male pacers and two divisions in the C$220,000 Eternal Camnation for 2-year-old filly pacers.

The morning-line favorite in the William Wellwood Memorial final is Tactical Dynasty, at 8-5 and will start from post four. Tactical Dynasty muscled to a 1:53.4 victory in the William Wellwood Memorial elimination.

“When I asked him in the middle of the last turn and no one was coming, he kicked into gear,” winning driver Yannick Gingras said after the race.

Gingras sent Tactical Dynasty out of post 7 to race third by a :29 first quarter, but soon lifted the Tactical Landing colt off the pegs and brushed to the lead. He cleared command before a :57.3 half and skedaddled from the competition, clicking past three-quarters in 1:25.4 and strolling under the beam a wrapped-up winner by five lengths.

“Once he’s in that gear, he’s pretty solid,” Gingras also said. “He handled all the breakers and all that stuff. I really always liked him. He’s got that nice gait to him, he’s fast. I think we’ve got a nice colt on our hands.”

Ron Burke trains Tactical Dynasty for his Burke Racing Stable LLC, Phillip Collura, Larry Karr, J. and T. Silva and Purnel and Libby.

The morning-line favorite in the Peaceful Way is Champagne Problems, at 8-5. The daughter of Tactical Landing-Miss Caviar, purchased under the name Southwind Cupcake for $35,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, has three wins and two seconds in five races this year. Her victories include the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship. Dexter Dunn will drive the filly from post one for trainer Nancy Takter.

Racing begins at 7:10 p.m. Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park