Stage Set For Super Finals Showdown
The 2018 Ontario Sires Stakes season will come to a close with the $1.8 million Super Finals this Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
A total of eight $225,000 championship races will be contested to decide the best Ontario-sired two and three-year-olds.
The eight Super Final dashes have been carded as Races 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 and are part of a 12-race card. The card will kick off with a 7:10 p.m. post time.
A quick glance at each of the eight $225,000 OSS Super Finals appear below.
Race 2: Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
Illusioneesta (PP4, Chris Christoforou) was the most consistent filly in the division thanks to the 2-1-2 record she compiled in the five Gold Series events conducted over the course of the season. The Per Henriksen trainee was the points leader (149) as a result of her consistency, and her seasonal bankroll ($214,202) is by far the biggest in the field.
Race 3: Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot
Forbidden Trade (PP1, Bob McClure) and Dream Nation (PP4, Louis Philippe Roy) set up as one of the marquee match-ups of the night.
Forbidden Trade led the OSS standings (208 pts) thanks to four wins in the Gold Series this season for trainer Luc Blais. He’s second in the earnings department, however, to Dream Nation, who checks into the OSS Super Final with more than $187,000 on his card for trainer Jacques Dupont. The gelding owns an impressive 6-2-1 record from nine starts.
Race 5: Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
Better Single (PP8, Louis Philippe Roy) is the ‘hot’ filly coming into the Super Final thanks to back-to-back Gold Series scores for co-owner/trainer Anthony Beaton. The Betterthancheddar lass led the standings in her division with 167 points thanks to a 3-0-1 record she assembled from five Gold Series assignments.
Race 6: Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
HP Titania Runner (PP5, Louis Philippe Roy) went 3-for-4 in Gold Series event this season for trainer Rene Bourassa, and as a result she led the way in the division’s standings (151 pts). The daughter of E L Titan enters the Super Final fresh off a career-best score in 1:56.4 in what was her debut with trotting hopples. She’ll look to keep the ball rolling and add to a bankroll that stands at $136,150.
Race 7: Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot
Run Director (PP8, Sylvain Filion) enjoyed a very productive ‘regular season’ in the OSS Gold Series as noted in the 3-2-0 record he compiled from five assignments, but his work isn’t done yet. The Ben Baillargeon-trained star topped the standings in his division (200 pts), and he’s clearly the one to beat if he’s on his game. He came within one-fifth of a second from matching his lifetime mark in his latest victory versus Gold Series foes.
Race 8: Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace
Stag Party (PP1, David Miller) headlines a very deep group of freshman pacing colts and geldings in this rich tilt. The Casie Coleman-trained son of Bettors Delight absolutely crushed North America’s finest freshman in the $890,000 when he stopped the teletimer in 1:50.4. He skipped the final two Gold Series events of the season to freshen up for the final. A victory would keep him in the running for a possible Horse Of The Year title in Canada.
Race 9: Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
Kendall Seelster (PP3, Randy Waples) nabbed just one Gold Series trophy this summer for trainer Paul Reid, but his filly really came on strong at the end of the season after a slow start to kick off her sophomore season. The daughter of Shadow Play, who put together an impressive five-race winning streak through July and August, caught a big break when Shower Play failed to enter for the Super Final.
Race 10: Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace
The Glamour Boy division was all about Jimmy Freight (PP8, Louis Philippe Roy) early in the season, but a set of sophomores are looming large late in the season.
The Downtown Bus (PP4, Tim Tetrick) has reeled off four straight wins for trainer Jeff Gillis, who recently added the son of Mach Three to the Lasix program. He earned a career-best clocking of 1:49.3 when he rallied to a Gold Series win to wrap up his month of September.
Backstreet Shadow (PP5, Yannick Gingras) raced in the shadow of stablemate Jimmy Freight to begin the year, but after winning four of his last five starts for trainer Richard Moreau he might be ready to upstage his barnmate. The speedy son of Shadow Play is a versatile type who is fresh and brave coming into this contest, unlike his globetrotting stablemate who has suffered three straight defeats.
What a way to wrap up this year’s OSS Super Final night! First race post time is 7:10 p.m.
To view the entries for Saturday's star-studded card of harness racing at Mohawk, click the following links:
► Saturday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park
► Saturday Program Pages - Woodbine Mohawk Park (courtesy TrackIT)