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Mohawk is a 7/8 mile harness racing track in Campbellville, Ontario,
Canada. The track stands on a 450-acre tract of land and is a 25 minute drive
west of Toronto. Harness racing is scheduled five nights per week in the Spring
and Fall.
Mohawk regularly hosts a slew of fast-paced stakes events. In the spring,
events like the Youthful Pacing Series, the Mohawk Pacing Series, and the Princess
Pacing Series take the centerstage. In autumn, stakes include the Campbellville
Trot, the Milton Stakes and the Harvest Stakes.
Mohawk has hosted great harness racing champions since its opening
in 1963, these include Cam Fella, Matts Scooter, Artsplace, Moni Maker, and
Odies Fame.
Pacer Western Ideal became the fastest horse in Mohawk history when he scorched
a mile in 1:49 in September 2000. Glorys Comet, now the richest Canadian-bred
horse in history, holds the track record of 1:53.4 for trotters, having established
that mark on the new 7/8 mile track during the 1998 fall meet.
| • Track
size |
: |
7/8
mile |
| • Length
of homestretch |
: |
1,095 feet |
| • Width
of homestretch |
: |
85 feet |
| • Starters
behind the gate |
: |
10 |
| • Hubrail |
: |
No |
| • Racetrack
Base |
: |
crushed limestone |
| • Racetrack
Cushion |
: |
traprock |
| • Parking
capacity |
: |
4,276 cars |
| • Largest
attendance |
: |
14,606 |
| • Total
seating capacity |
: |
5,000 |
|
|
|
| • Barns |
: |
10 |
| • Stalls |
: |
730 |
- The Ontario Jockey Club made plans to build a new standard bred
track. Wolf Von Richtoven, a prominent thoroughbred and standard bred enthusiast,
pointed them in the direction of Campbellville. It had a beautiful rural
setting and is within a half-hour's drive of major cities. The Club decided
to build what would become Mohawk here.

- On April 26, 1963, Mohawk opened to a crowd of 4,338.
It had been built at a cost of CDN $3.5 million. It had barns for 828
horses, a staff of over 200, and a parking lot equipped for 3,000 cars.
- Record crowds attended on April 18. 11,470 fans came for the International
Drivers Competition that brought drivers from eight different countries.
- A 500-seat lounge area was built for fans to watch the race on
a 9’ x 12’ screen.
- The Ontario Jockey Club invested CDN $3 million to rebuild, reconfigure
and enlarge the existing 5/8th track into a 7/8th mile race track. It re-opened
on September 14 to rave reviews from fans and horsemen alike.
- In August 1999, the track unveiled a new slot area complete with
750 machines.
- The prestigious Breeders Crown was held at Mohawk. It brings top
horses from across North America to compete, along with top owners, racing
officials and visitors from Canada, the United States and Europe.
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