Dunn Show: Maryland romps to Mohawk Million triumph

MILTON, September 21, 2024 – Maryland powered home to take all the spoils in the Mohawk Million, putting an exclamation point on a picture-perfect Saturday night for driver Dexter Dunn.

After taking the inside track, literally, to impressive victories in the $347,000 Elegantimage (with French Champagne) and $713,000 Canadian Trotting Classic (with Amazing Catch), Dunn engineered a different trip, but produced the same result, in the Mohawk Million.

Meshuggah, in rein to Scott Zeron, blasted off the wings and took the lead heading into the first turn, followed by Lookatmegoamigo, Go Ahead Makemyday, and Lasting Dream, while Maryland sat an unfettered sixth through an opening panel in :27.1.

It was status quo on the front end through a half in a tepid :56.2, as Dunn continued to hold a patient hand, now positioned seventh, on the 4-5 choice.

Meshuggah was still on top through three-quarters in 1:24.3, as Lasting Dream looked to ratchet up the pressure. Monalishi arrived on the scene in third, while Maryland, now fourth, was five lengths off the leader, but full of trot and rolling to the outside.

Maryland, whose slot owner for the Million was Hunterton Farm, began to methodically pick off his rivals down the lane, blasting to the front with ease en route to a sharp 3 ½-length score after a :27.1 final quarter. Lasting Dream was second, Meshuggah third, and Onajetplane finished fourth.

The final time was a stakes, track, and Canadian record 1:52.3.

“He was pretty aggressive tonight,” said Dunn. “He hasn’t really been like that before, and now the horse outside was pretty fired up on the gate too. And there was a bit going on, but we had a little bubble there before the gate left, but he luckily kept his gate. We still got away in a pretty decent position, and just around the last turn, I nearly lost him there for a bit, but he got himself up.

“I was still confident, especially coming off the last turn, and he was close enough that he’s fast enough.” 

For the son of Chapter Seven-Crucial, who won the $575,000 William Wellwood Stakes on August 24 and the $527,027 Peter Haughton Memorial on September 13, it was the third straight command performance and biggest payday of his career.

“He’s probably the smartest colt I’ve been around,” said trainer Marcus Melander, who won the 2022 Million with Oh Well.  “He wants to do his work. Then, you never know how much the other horses have left, but if he has the position to win when they’re turning from home, he’ll win.”

With Saturday’s win, Maryland is now 4-1-1 from 7 starts, to go along with nearly $1.1 million in lifetime earnings.

“I think pretty much when he was racing at the Meadowlands early, he just showed so much talent,” said Steve Stewart of Hunterton Farm. “And that last 16th, he always just seems to accelerate. There was one race early that I think a horse came up on him and it looked like he was going to go right by him, and he just wouldn’t let him go, and it seems like he’s very versatile.

“Marcus has been saying that the one thing that separates him from a lot of horses is he’s so intelligent.”

Maryland, owned by Courant Inc., PCW Racing, Holly Lane Stud East and SStewart R Thorn Stable, will head home to the Garden State the newly minted Million champion.

“We will ship him back home to New Jersey and prepare him for the Breeders Crown, since he won last week and he’s already eligible for the finals,” noted Melander. “So, that will be his next race, probably. Maybe, we’ll do a qualifier in between, but that’s what we’re waiting for right now.”

Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, the bay colt, who won his debut at The Meadowlands on June 28, was a $475,000 purchase at the 2023 Lexington Select Yearling Sale.

Maryland paid $3.90 for the win.

Chris Lomon, Woodbine Mohawk Park