Woodbine Mohawk Grand Circuit preview

The 2020 harness racing Grand Circuit rolls into Ontario, Canada on Aug. 27, when Woodbine Mohawk Park hosts some of the biggest purses of the abbreviated season.

Freshman colt and filly trotters will engage in the traditional Champlain Stakes, and here is our betting analysis for the day's action.

Race 2

The first Champlain mile for the colts will send six tight contenders to post.

Most impressive is the longest shot on the morning line, #6 Father Corby. The son of Father Patrick finished fifth last time out but had to go the better part of the mile in the second tier. He went off at 7-2 and is listed tonight at 8-1.

Last week, we were hot on the morning-line favorite, #1 On A Streak, who finished second in a local series final at 17-1. He and #2 Full Of Muscles should be involved, with less return expected.

Race 4

The first filly Champlain will delier eight gals to the gait.

Certainly not a standout, but a contender nonetheless, is #6 Rubys Are Nice. Her qualifier at Kawartha was perfect and her chances to be in the thick of it will be better than her odds.

She will have to beat #1 Donna Soprano, who is 2-for-2 at prohibitive odds and obviously a fan choice here.

Race 6

Seven fillies are on board for this Champlain. #5 Up And Ready was a beaten favorite last time out, when she lost ground most of the way. She may not be the public choice this time, though, which is good for getting better odds.

A true outsider with a good chance is #3 Exclusive Rosette. You need to dismiss her recent effort at Grand River and count on her to be as smooth as her most recent Mohawk appearance, a strong second at 15-1 in a sires stakes.

Race 8

The second Champlain colt episode features another sextet, though not as equal to one another as the first colt test.

Here, five will be chasing a big favorite, #4 Macho Martini. Luc Blais’ Muscle Massive colt is undefeated in five starts.