TORONTO — Owner Brad Grant has won just about every major harness-racing title there is, but his two Hambletonian Stakes victories stand above the rest.
The Milton, Ont., trucking magnate reached the Hambletonian winner’s circle for the first time with filly Atlanta in 2018 at The Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, N.J. He returned two years later with Ramona Hill, another filly.
“I always enjoyed watching the Hambletonian but I was lucky enough the first time I raced in it, I won,” said Grant, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame last year. “I was standing in the winner’s circle and all of a sudden realized this is the pinnacle, this is what we race for.
“It was the first time I ever had the ‘Wow’ factor of winning a race. It was like, ‘This is it, there’s nothing better.'”
Grant could soon be chasing another win in harness racing’s version of the Kentucky Derby on Canadian soil. Woodbine Entertainment bid last month to host the prestigious race at Woodbine Mohawk Park, starting in 2027.
The US$1-million Hambletonian Stakes has run for over 100 years in the United States. It has called The Meadowlands home since 1981 but the venue is only under contract to stage the ’26 race.
The Hambletonian Society, which owns and manages the Hambletonian, Hambletonian Oaks and Breeders Crown series, has opened the bidding for the Hambletonian Stakes beyond this year.
It’s unclear how many tracks have applied but it’s generally believed Woodbine is one of three to do so. The Meadowlands and Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind., are regarded as the others.
Woodbine Mohawk Park is coming off hosting a successful ’25 Breeders Crown event last October.
“Every time someone comes to Mohawk to race in a big event, they go away with an impression of a job well done,” said Grant, a member of Woodbine Entertainment’s board of directors. “You hear a lot more good things than bad and if you can break even, that’s a good thing.
“After the Breeders Crown last year, people left here totally impressed with the whole thing, from start to finish.”
Staging the Hambletonian Stakes would be a huge deal for Woodbine.
It’s not only seen as harness racing’s premier event but is also regarded as the world’s top stakes competition for three-year-old trotters. Grant feels having the Hambletonian Stakes here would only boost the sport in Canada.
And Woodbine Mohawk Park’s proximity to Pearson International Airport (roughly 45 kilometres) makes it an easy destination to reach. The GTA would also give participants plenty of options outside of the actual race eliminations and final.
Grant said the Hambletonian Stakes is much more than just a race.
“It’s a crowd event, it’s a social event where you want to be there,” he said. “You want to be part of it, you want to be seen, you want to dress up.
“Obviously it’s not the like the Kentucky Derby to the extent they go for it, but for standardbreds, it’s as good as it gets.”
Woodbine’s bid comes at a time when Canada-U.S. relations have become tense due to trade disputes. If successful, Woodbine would likely face angst south of the border as the Hambletonian, often called America’s Trotting Classic, would be heading north for at least three years (2027-29).
But Woodbine could also receive flak at home from those in the Canadian industry who’d question why it would spend money to host an American-based race.
“Obviously there’s some people who’re going to think it’s America’s race,” Grant said. “But it would be at a world-class venue, we’d be showing our sport.
“I also think it would generate revenue for travel, industry, hotels and stuff like that because the Hambletonian is the creme-de-la-creme.”
The race would also complement a solid stakes schedule at Woodbine Mohawk Park that already includes such $1-million races as the Mohawk Million, Pepsi North America Cup and Metro Pace. But with a US$1-million purse, the Hambletonian Stakes would become Woodbine’s richest event.
The Hambletonian Society and Woodbine Entertainment also have history. Woodbine has hosted more Breeders Crown races (176) than any other track operator since the series launched in 1984.
Woodbine is going hard after the Hambletonian Stakes, having released a video outlining its bid, and is expected to meet with the Hambletonian Society soon to formally discuss its application.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2026.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
