Big Big Plans made it two in a row on a perfect summer evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday (July 14), winning a Gold division for rookie pacing fillies — one of four Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions on the card.

The Bob McIntosh trainee left nicely from post 5 and led a :27.2 quarter mile before Trevor Henry settled her into third position as Bankers Luck and Starlight Dancer exchanged turns at the front.

Henry angled the All Bets Off filly out entering the stretch and found space on the racetrack to pull clear by a head over a late-charging Cheesy Smile.

“She got a great trip and was able to capitalize on it,” said Henry. “She’s a real nice filly. She’s only been off the farm a few times, but she’s doing well.”

Last week Big Big Plans won from the front, giving her two wins from two different trips.

“It’s great for her,” said Henry. “Last week I had to move her to the front, and sometimes a young horse when they do that, they might not respond as well late in the mile. Tonight, she got a nice covered up trip, and when she did get room, she was good.”

McIntosh owns the filly with Mardon Stables (Loretto, Ont.) and Dave Boyle (Bowmanville, Ont.).

Bob McClure piloted Cheesy Smile to second position for trainer John Pentland, moving her over $74,000 in earnings for Pentland and his ownership partners Cindy Molyneux, (Sparta, Ont.), Peter Charlton (St. Thomas, Ont.), and Archie Leach (London, Ont.). Early leader Starlight Dancer finished third for trainer Melissa Lamoreaux with Jonathan Drury in the race bike.

The Gold action kicked off earlier in evening in Race 3 with the first of two divisions for rookie trotting colts.

Leaving from post 6, odds-on favourite Snowpiercer was driven to the front by Paul MacDonell, and the Muscle Mass colt led the field through fractions of :28, :57.2, and 1:26. It was the second-straight week the John Bax trainee led all the way through three-quarters, and this time he held on for the two-length win in 1:56.2.

“The half went a little quicker, and the horse I thought was second best got back aways,” said Bax. “Paul got some separation, and it’s just the way it happened. Normally I’d worry about a horse always going to the front, but it doesn’t get him all worked up. Everything is all good so far.”

Snowpiercer is owned by Bax Stable (Campbellville, Ont.) Brad Grant (Milton, Ont.), David Anderson (Aurora, Ont.), and Richard Gutnick (Blue Bell, Pa.). He now has more than $76,000 in earnings for the group.

Sylvain Filion drove Dowedealinandwhy to a hard closing second for trainer Rob Fellows. The Wheeling N Dealin gelding now has a record of 2-1-0 from three starts, and over $69,000 in earnings for owners Yolanda Fellows (Rockwood, Ont.) and Irene Carey (Belgrave, Ont.). Rounding out the podium was Templeton for trainer Jonas Czernyson who co-owns the colt with Aldebaran Park Inc (Vero Beach, Fla.), and L Berg Inc (Delray Beach, Fla.).

Gregg McNair trainee Osceola was victorious in the other trotting colt division, bouncing back from going off stride in his previous Gold start.

McNair’s son Doug settled the Muscle Mass colt into pocket position early, and after Passarino moved past early leader Mass Market around the first turn, McNair promptly sent Osceola past both horses to lead the rest of the way to post a 1:56 mile.

“He really hasn’t been a problem all winter,” said Gregg. “We raced him last week, and he made a couple of breaks in the mile, but we changed a few things around, and it ended up working out on him.”

The colt trotted home in :27.2 to win by five lengths, earning $51,550 for McNair’s fellow owners Willow Oak Ranch (Rogersville, Tenn.), and Paul Hawman (Collingwood, Ont.).

Ghostly Casper moved all the way from sixth to finish second for trainer Ben Baillargeon with Sylvain Filion in the bike. Baillargeon owns the Resolve colt with Teresa Davidson (Milton, Ont.), Santo Vena (Cedar Valley, Ont.) and Nunzio Vena (Bolton, Ont.). Trevor Henry piloted Bob McIntosh trainee Mass Market to a third-place finish. McIntosh, brother Doug McIntosh (Wheatley, Ont.), and Randy Liepa (Livonia, MI) own the Muscle Mass colt.

A 12-1 upset capped off the Gold action in Race 8 with Momentary Control taking the second division for freshmen pacing fillies.

The Control The Moment lass made her pari-mutuel debut at the Grassroots level on July 5 and finished second. In her Gold debut she closed strong in :27 to charge from a seventh position at the half-mile marker and win by two lengths.

The field set a solid opening pace of :27.1 and :57, but Tyler Jones was content to settle his filly off the pace and move as the field rounded the far turn.

“She felt like she could go :27 with them leaving the gate, but I just kind of settled her down and got her back there,” said Jones. “Then coming off the last turn she drifted out on her own, and when she hit that open stretch, she was gone. She found her stride and paced amazing. That was an easy :27.”

Jones’ father Dustin trains the filly, and she's owned by Andrea Lea Racingstables Inc (Lakefield Gore, Que.) and Colin McKenna (Toronto, Ont.).

Chantal Mitchell trainee was second with James MacDonald in the race bike moving the Bettors Delight filly over $50,000 in earnings for owners Ltd Bella Racing (Delaware, OH), Evan Katz (Seaford, Ont.), and Frank Canzone (Bronxville, NY). Sylvain Filion piloted Lyons Bettorday to a third-place finish for trainer Anthony Beaton. The filly now has $38,389 in earnings for owner Threelyonsracing (Brantford, Ont.).

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

(Ontario Sires Stakes)