MILTON, August 23, 2025— Scott Zeron made a decisive brush up the backstretch with Ardonne and comfortably held the throne to take the Grade 1 $485,000 William Wellwood Memorial in a stake record-equaling 1:52.4 mile on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Off the 7-5 second choice, Zeron floated Ardonne out of post 6 and found a seat in third to wait for the outside speed of Strobe Light and Tavern Onthe Green to settle. Strobe Light cleared command to a :27.2 first quarter and coasted on the lead as Zeron tipped Ardonne out of third and gathered momentum for a backside sweep. Ardonne planted onto the point before a :56 half and took the positional edge on 3-5 favorite Magic Punk, who had just begun a first-over grind out of fifth. Zeron kept Ardonne cruising through the last turn and clicked past three-quarters in 1:24.3 while Magic Punk loomed up to Zeron’s wheel on the turn for home. Once called upon, Ardonne rebuffed the challenge from Magic Punk and motored into another gear to peel away in the closing stages for a 2-1/2-length victory. Magic Punk took second from Strobe Light in third and Touchedbyanangel finished fourth. Ardonne and driver Scott Zeron winning the William Wellwood Memorial on August 23, 2025 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (New Image Media) “It’s what we all dream of and what we work so hard for,” trainer Megan Scran said after the race. “When it actually comes together, it’s just amazing. I give [Scott] a lot of credit too because he’s brought this colt along great and set him up for a trip like this tonight.” “I’ve accomplished a lot by myself as a driver,” said Scott Zeron, boyfriend to Megan Scran, “and Megan said ‘Well, the next bucket list goal should be to do it with me.’ You think it’s a little surreal, it’s hard to do and she only broke four babies training down, but this was one of them. I’ve been waiting to try and get him on the front. We had to work pretty hard to get there, but once he got there he relaxed nicely. Coming around the last turn, you don’t know what you’ve got until you ask him. I asked him… it was a stellar performance.” A colt by Tactical Landing, Ardonne won just his second race from six tries and catapulted his bankroll to $355,452 for owner Philip Steinberg. “This is probably the biggest race I’ve won,” Steinberg said. “I’ve won a couple of big stakes races, but this is unbelievable. And [Scott and Megan] are the best. I just left it to these two to do whatever they wanted to do and they brought him along just tremendously.” Ardonne paid $4.90 to win. Ray Cotolo, for Woodbine Communications Share This:Share
