Apex Comes Out On Top In Mohawk Million

September 21, 2025

Hunterton's Sold Apex, with Dexter Dunn in the race bike for trainer Marcus Melander, put on a show in the Grade 1 Mohawk Million on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.


The sixth edition of the $1 million slot race boasted the deepest field the race has ever seen – and the two-year-old trot battle did not disappoint.


Strobe Lite (James MacDonald), leaving from post eight, blasted off the wings and assumed early control, followed by Dublin Hanover (Ake Svanstedt), Silverstein (David Miller) and 1-5 choice Endurance (Andrew McCarthy), while Dunn, navigating a tricky trip from post one, clung to the rail and settled his charge into fifth heading into the first turn.


A break in stride by Strobe Lite opened the doors for Silverstein to then take a nose lead after an opening panel in :27.4, but his lead was short lived as Endurance glided to the front, with Dublin Hanover third and Apex nestled in fourth. ​


Endurance, riding a six-race win streak, continued to call the shots through a half in :57, but Dunn and Apex, ranging up on the outside, were turning up the heat on the tempo-setter, who reached three-quarters in 1:24.4 with a one-length advantage.


Apex dialed up the pressure as Endurance dug down deep along the inside and looked to fend off the 5-2 second choice with the finish line drawing closer. Apex finally drew clear late as Dunn took a quick glance over his right shoulder to see if he had any closers to contend with. Seconds later, he pumped his fist when he realized there was no threat.


At the wire, Apex was a 1-1/2-length winner in 1:51.4. Endurance held second and Silverstein was third.


“There was a bit of action going into that first turn, but he just handled like a true professional, and, you know, we got away not too far back,” said Dunn. “He handled really good today.


“He got a little excited there earlier on, but now he's beautiful and relaxed. He seems so intelligent, too. He knows his job and he's only two. So, I moved him down past the half there and he was travelling so strongly around the last turn. I just wanted to make sure he got around it in one piece, and once I asked him, he really put his muscle into it.”


The final time of 1:51.4 was a stakes, track and Canadian record for two-year-old male trotters. The previous record was 1:52.3, set in last year's Mohawk Million by Maryland with Dunn driving for Melander. 


Apex's trainer also won the Mohawk Million in 2022 with the Tim Tetrick-driven Oh Well.


“He did it so easily last weekend at Hoosier,” said Melander, referring to Apex's victory in the Grade 1 Peter Haughton Memorial at Hoosier Park on Sept. 12. “You know, he came out of the race good. But I asked Dexter on Sunday there at The Red Mile what his thoughts were, if he thought he had it in him to go another week. And he said he did.”


Prior to the Mohawk Million, Apex’s highest profile score was in the $512,431 Haughton, which also secured him an automatic entry in the Breeders Crown. His other victories include the $312,500 New Jersey Sire Stakes final on Aug. 2 and the $342,466 New Jersey Classic on Sept. 5, both at The Meadowlands.


Apex is owned by Jeff Snyder of New York City, New York, S R F Stable of Del Ray Beach, Florida and Steve Stewart of Paris, Kentucky. He entered the Mohawk Million for his Canadian debut courtesy of the slot held by Hunterton Farms.


Bred by Mission Brief Stable, the son of Walner out of the world champion Muscle Hill mare Mission Brief was a $729,167 yearling purchase at the 2024 Standardbred Horse Sale.


“We always felt like he was extremely special, very intelligent and you can almost see it in his eye,” said Stewart.


Apex now sports a record reading 6-1-1 from eight starts with more than $1.1 million in purse earnings.


A winner of his past four starts, he paid $7.40 for the win.


The sixth edition of the Mohawk Million generated an event record all-sources handle of $4,662,789, surpassing the previous record of $3.9 million set in 2022.


While multiple stakes winner Strobe Lite's miscue took him out of contention in the Mohawk Million, his participation secured him a $10,000 cheque that helped his trainer, Ben Baillargeon, reach a career milestone. The Guelph, Ont. resident went over $50 million in career earnings.


To view Saturday's complete harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.


(With files from Woodbine)

June 27, 2026
Washington, PA — The Friday (June 26) harness racing card at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows gave racing fans a featured attraction in the Currier & Ives Trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings, along with a glimpse of the future in two Pop-Up Series divisions for 2-year-old pacing fillies. Hunterton Bred, Born & Sold Endurance lived up to his name in the $90,675 Currier & Ives for 3-year-old colt trotters, overcoming post 9 in the 10-horse field to establish a stakes record with a 1:52.4 victory.  Unhurried early, Endurance and regular driver Andy McCarthy avoided the brisk early fractions and settled mid-pack. When Hamlet Hall moved first-over, McCarthy followed at the three-eighths, but stalled cover left Endurance three-wide approaching the five-eighths. As the leaders began to tire, Endurance and McCarthy found room along the rail and held off Hamlet Hall to secure the victory. Endurance overcame a wide draw and an overland trip en route to his stakes-record 1:52.4 performance in Friday’s Currier & Ives for sophomore male trotters. Chris Gooden photo. A 3-year-old son of Captain Corey , Endurance now owns nine wins in 12 starts and has earned more than $750,000 for trainer Chris Beaver and owners Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming and Mark Moger.
June 26, 2026
Yonkers, NY – Hunterton Bred, Born & Sold Fragment , who was last year’s New York Sire Stakes, Big Apple and Matron winner, rebounded off a third-place finish in the sire stakes most recently at Buffalo to capture the Grade 2 $200,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final for 3-year-old male pacers on Friday night (June 26) at MGM Yonkers Raceway. The Messenger, which was conducted at the distance of a mile and a quarter this year, is the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown. Driven by Jason Bartlett, Fragment showed speed from post two but allowed a two-wide Al Papi (Yannick Gingras) to clear him going to the :28.1 opening quarter. Al Papi would be unchallenged to the half in :57.1, but an outer tier that included Frantic Hanover (Tim Tetrick), Melillo (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and Hunt Off The Press (Scott Zeron) formed up as Al Papi raced toward three-quarters in 1:26.2. Al Papi staved off fellow Ron Burke trainee Frantic Hanover to the mile marker in 1:54.1, but Frantic Hanover began to tire on the last turn, and that gave Bartlett and Fragment a path to the outside they needed. Al Papi was game to the wire, but he couldn’t withstand the charge of Fragment, who got up to tally by half a length in 2:21.4. Mighty Matt (Braxten Boyd) held off Melillo for third and Apocalypsebluechip (Todd McCarthy) got up for fifth. “It’s good for the horse. He’s been very special to us the last two years,” Bartlett remarked. “For him to bounce back like that and to beat those type of horses, we’re not surprised. I’m happy that he’s back on track. For him to race like that in Buffalo was really not like him. “This race went kind of went the way we wanted it to. I was going to re-move him, but the pace was enough, so I just kind of sat there. I know he’s a little horse, but for me, on the front, he can get away from me a little bit because he floats over the ground. I was better off in the two-hole, to be honest.” Per Engblom trains Fragment, a Huntsville colt bred by Steve Stewart, Black Creek Farm, Michael Robinson, and South Mountain Stables, for the ownership group of Engblom Farm LLC., Douglas Sipple and Peaceful Acre Farm. He has 11 wins and three seconds from 19 lifetime starts, has earned $758,057 and paid $4.40 to win as the favorite. He keyed a $7.24 exacta and a $35.90 trifecta. “He bled a little bit at Buffalo, so we had to skip the next leg of the sire stakes to get him right. I think we did right by him,” Engblom said. “I didn’t stake him to any of the races this summer on the bigger tracks. I tried to stick on the smaller tracks and hope to have a good fall with him. “He’s got the New York Sire Stakes and the Empire Breeders, and then we’ll aim for the Little Brown Jug and the Breeders Crown.” The companion Grade 3 Park MGM Pace for 3-year-old fillies was split into a pair of $50,000 divisions. In the first flight, Two Twenty Swift (Bartlett), the 4-5 favorite, led through fractions of :27.2, :55 and 1:23.2 while she parked out Existential (Matt Kakaley). The swift tempo and battle made Two Twenty Swift vulnerable in the lane, and pocket-sitter Ideal Beauty Queen (Scott Zeron) took advantage, rallying past Two Twenty Swift to prevail half a length in 1:53.2 at odds of 22-1. Two Twenty Swift held on for the runner-up spot and Bettor Be A Star (Dexter Dunn) had pace in the stretch from second-over to get up for third. A daughter of American Ideal bred by co-owner Rosalia Huff with Jean Durnye, Ideal Beauty Queen is trained by Jake Huff. Ideal Beauty Queen, who is co-owned by Beauty Bridle Rac Stb Inc., won for the fourth time from 16 starts, has now earned $103,566 and paid $47.70 to win. She led a $133.88 exacta and a $231.98 trifecta. The second Park MGM Pace split saw 2-5 choice I’m A Lou Lou (Tim Tetrick) leave from post four and clear Tall Dark Tequila (Tyler Buter) for command before the :27.3 quarter. From there, I’m A Lou Lou kept the top spot to the half in :57 seconds and the three-quarters in 1:25.1 before she closed in :27.3 to prevail by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:52.4. Napalm (Dunn) was second from first-over and Tall Dark Tequila wound up third. By Sweet Lou and bred by Add Inc., I’m A Lou Lou is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC. Knox Services Inc., Larry Karr and Phil Collura. She has a summary of 5-5-2 from 17 tries, has pocketed $328,860 and returned $2.84 to win. She was atop a $6.28 exacta and a $9.76 trifecta.
June 23, 2026
Erv Miller trainee Hunterton Born & Sold Redice (Atlee Bender) uncorked the quickest mile among the 2-year-old trotting fillies with a 1:56.3 jog in the first division for their cohort at Oak Grove June 23. Bender eased to the top out of post 6 and held a steady lead through sensible fractions of :29.4, :59.3 and 1:28.4 in progress to a 7-length romp over Shanavalley (Dexter Dunn) and Solo Santa Maria (Junior Guelpa). The daughter of Rebuff -Fuzzy Dice competes for owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc., Anthony Lombardi and Stepbystep Racing. She paid $3.20 to win.
June 22, 2026
Oak Grove, KY — Brett Pelling pupil Three Times Bettor defended their Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) title at Oak Grove with winning in their respective $150,000 final on Monday (June 22), a card featuring nearly $1 million in purses. Hunterton Bred, Born & Sold Three Times Bettor (driven by Dexter Dunn) maintained control late from a tough first half to score a neck victory in the KYSS final for 4-year-old pacing mares in a 1:49.4 mile. Dunn found himself in a tight spot early as Rose (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) barreled from the center of the gate to swoop after leader Aintnothingucando (Yannick Gingras) marching to a :26.3 first quarter. Three Times Bettor tracked Rose up the rim until Wrenn cleared command, at which point Dunn ground his charge forward and reached the lead approaching a :54.3 half. Champagne Room (Tim Tetrick) soon angled off the pylons from fourth for an attack up the backside while Three Times Bettor cruised comfortably to clock three-quarters in 1:22.3. Dunn asked Three Times Bettor to accelerate rounding the last turn and got the jump on her peers as Unreasonable (Jason Bartlett) lifted off a second-over trip and gathered menacing momentum late. Three Times Bettor held her ground and kept a neck up on hard-charging Unreasonable at the beam with Rose left in third and Caviart Delight (Todd McCarthy) emerging from off the speed for fourth. A daughter of Bettor’s Delight-Three Times A Lady, Three Times Bettor competes for owner Thaddeus Wier and has now won six races from seven starts this season and 15 races from 24 starts in her career, good for $392,814 in earnings. She paid $2.96 to win.
June 22, 2026
Oak Grove hosted seven total $40,000 divisions of KYSS for pacing 2-year-olds with four splits for the males and three splits for the fillies on Monday (June 22). On the male pacing side, Midnight Drive (Dexter Dunn, 1:53.2; $4.24) posted the top performance with a front-stepping victory by four lengths. Jamie Sullivan trains the colt by Stay Hungry -Turnoffthelights for owners David Hamm, Glenn Phillips and Frank Chick. The other dashes for pacing males were won by I’m Toohot For You (Marcus Miller, 1:54.1; $13.64), Atlantic Ivey (Atlee Bender, 1:53.3; $4.90) and Ballarddrgoldfngr (Archie Buford, 1:54.3; $7.10).
June 21, 2026
East Rutherford, NJ – Trainer Chris Ryder took both $60,000 New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund finals for 3-year-olds on the pace Saturday night at The Meadowlands. His win in the colts and geldings division impressed, but did not come with the horse the betting public expected. Obliterate , a 10-1 outsider despite having won his NJSDF preliminary a week ago in 1:48.3, worked out a good trip after an aggressive drive from Chris’ son, Patrick, to score his fourth career win from just 10 tries. Bookie J, Obliterate’s headline-grabbing stablemate who was a perfect five-for-five in 2026 heading into the race, worked out an ideal second-over trip, but the 1-9 public choice couldn’t deal with Obliterate late, who closed with a rush after leaving the gate in a lightning-quick :26.3. He raced in the pocket until mid-stretch, when the colt by Perfect Sting -Triple V Hanover vacated the rail while in tight quarters, before a late burst of speed got him to the finish three-quarters-of-a-length in front of Bookie J. Corvette Stingray raced bravely first-over and hung in there to claim the show dough. “We really liked this horse all along and it’s taken a few starts to get him right where we want him,” said Patrick. “My dad’s always had so much faith in him and he’s always believed in me driving him. “I wasn’t real happy putting him in the two-hole. I just kind of took my chances. I was hoping I’d get room (late), and it was really tight. When I snuck my way out, he gave me a really good run. I couldn’t believe how well he responded.” Obliterate completed the mile in 1:49.4 and returned $22.40 to his backers.
June 15, 2026
Wilkes-Barre, PA – There were two constants as 3-year-old trotting fillies raced for over $200,000 in two divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and five divisions of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania during a Sunday (June 14) twilight card. One constant was that there would be no first-round winner repeating in this second preliminary leg; the other was that every winner would set a lifetime mark. Fastest of all the fillies was Frattina Diablo S , a daughter of the hot sire Captain Corey , who proved best in a four-horse PaSS grouping at the wire, stopping the timer in 1:52.1. The Scott Zeron-driven diamond-gaiter, second by a nose in her first prelim, was close-up during a :27.4 opener then brushed to the lead past first-round winner Maya Patel Hanover before a :56.3 half. Nuance started an uncovered bid before a 1:24.3 three-quarters, and as the field came through the stretch, there were two inside the favored leader, Maya Patel Hanover and Little Road to that’s one left, and the raw Nuance to the outside. Frattina Diablo S showed grit while trotting her last quarter in :27.3, warding off the 20-1 shot Little Road in the deep Pocono Pike by a neck, with Maya Patel Hanover another neck back and just getting the show nod in a picture with Nuance. Frattina Diablo S is trained by Tony Alagna for Steve Stewart and Dreamlover AB.
June 15, 2026
Hunterton Bred, Born & Sold Three Times Bettor (Dexter Dunn) found her groove again following a defeat in leg two with a 1:49.4 rebound in the single KYSS dash for pacing mares at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel . Dunn swooped from post seven to the lead through a :26.3 first quarter and held authority through a clip of :55 and 1:22.3 to cross the beam a length winner over pocket-sitter Champagne Room (Tim Tetrick). Unreasonable (Andy McCarthy) settled for third from a first-over push while Aintnothingucando (Yannick Gingras) hugged the pylons for fourth. Brett Pelling trains Three Times Bettor, a mare by Bettor’s Delight-Three Times A Lady, for owner Thaddeus Wier. She won her fifth race from six starts this season and her 14th race from 23 starts in her career, earning $317,814. She paid $5.18 to win.
June 15, 2026
Oak Grove, KY — Defending champion Hunterton Sold Captain Arturovico nabbed win in the third preliminary of Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) action for trainer Ron Burke at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel for 4-year-olds on Monday (June 15) as they now eye a series sweep into the $150,000 finals next week. Captain Arturovico (driven by Dexter Dunn) opened the afternoon’s KYSS action with a 1:50.4 win in the first division for pacing horses and geldings. Dunn settled the 3-5 favorite into third while Banderas (Yannick Gingras) fired for the top to a :27.1 first quarter and carried his speed to a :55 half. Banderas continued on the muscle up the backstretch as Captain Arturovico lifted off the pegs and advanced up the rim marching for three-quarters in 1:23.1. Captain Arturovico then slid to the lead in the stretch and held firmly for a one-length win over Falcon (Marcus Miller), who closed from off cover for second. Fusion (Todd McCarthy) rallied from a pocket trip for third and Banderas settled for fourth. A gelding by Captaintreacherous -Tilikum, Captain Arturovico races for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr and Phil Collura. He collected his third win of the season, all of which have come in this KYSS series, and his 15th win from 40 starts in his career, good for $440,809 in earnings. He paid $3.40 to win.
June 13, 2026
Dexter Dunn captured the $40,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Silver final for 3-year-old trotting fillies at The Meadowlands, teaming Carter Pinske trainee Hunterton Born & Sold Brattitude , a daughter of Tactical Landing -Love Muffin, to a 1:52.3 win for the partnership of Robert LeBlanc, David Anderson, Pryde Stables Inc. and John Fielding.
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