Formful favourites were the order of the evening as Woodbine Mohawk Park played host to the second leg of the Ontario Sired Spring Series on Thursday, April 17.

The evening featured four $18,000 divisions for Ontario-sired three-year-old fillies who earned less than $30,000 in 2024, with two divisions per gait. Both $40,000 finals are slated for Saturday, April 26.

Roxie Hart ($2.90) landed in third early for driver Tyler Borth in the first trotting division, allowing Eartha K (Louis-Philippe Roy) to wrestle control from Marie H (Doug McNair) through a :30 opening quarter. Borth flipped the switch with last week's fastest trot winner down the backside and she cleared through a :58.3 half. After a 1:27.1 third quarter, Roxie Hart kicked away unasked with a :29.2 final quarter to win in hand by a length with the clock stopped in a lifetime best 1:56.3. Nightingale (Jody Jamieson) and Resolve Indeed (James MacDonald) showed good foot late to complete the top trio.

Ben Baillargeon of Guelph, Ont. trains and co-owns Roxie Hart along with his son, Jeff. The daughter of former Baillargeon pupils Musical Rhythm and Rockin With Dewey now sports four wins in seven appearances with $37,340 in earnings.

Also a winner one week ago, Debra ($2.70) delivered as the public choice in her Spring Series division.  Bob McClure positioned Debra in the pocket behind The Green Book (Trevor Henry) through fractions of :28.2 and :59.1 before forced from the pocket by P C Chattahoochee (Scott Young) just before the 1:29.1 third station. Once angled with ample racetrack in her sights, Debra dug deep to drive past The Green Book and win by two in a time of 1:57.2. Core Resolve (Todd Ratchford) closed with authority to complete the triactor ticket.

Debra is now two-for-two in 2025 for trainer / co-owner Bill McClure of Brampton, Ont. and co-owner Ryan McClure of Acton. The daughter of Muscle Mass - Gradabra has now won half of her 10 career starts and banked $45,150 along the way.

Coeuratout Du Lac ($4.10) missed in the opening leg as the public choice last week, but uncorked a lifetime best mile in the faster of the two Spring Series pacing divisions. Roy got the pocket ride behind Kandy Kiss (Borth) through fractions of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:24.4 before popping out at the head of the lane and wearing down the pacesetter for the 1:53.1 decision. Kandy Kiss was next best, followed by Sadies Delight (Billy Davis, Jr.).

Eric Nadeau handles the conditioning on Coeuratout Du Lac, a Control The Moment - Signet sophomore filly owned by Louis-Philippe Roy Racing of Campbellville, Ont. and Quebec-based Maude Larouche of Notre-Dame Du Portage, Michel Letarte of Boucherville and Jean Allaire of Montreal. That win marked the third of career, lifting her purse earnings to $26,730 in the process.

Whiskey Blue Chip ($3.50; pictured above) sat the two hole for the majority of her first leg Spring Series win, but the repeat was straight Whiskey with no chaser — wire-to-wire in career best fashion. Driver Mario Baillargeon pointed the 3-5 public choice to the top from post seven and made every call a winning one. A 27.2 opening panel was followed by a tepid :58.2 half, prompting a move from third by Chillinonthebeach (Doug McNair). She appeared to poke a nose in front of the favourite but then got steppy and lost her momentum around the far turn. Whiskey Blue Chip handled it from there, hitting the third quarter in 1:26.1 before sprinting home in :28.2 for the 1:54.3 tally. Dear Abbey (Borth) closed to finish 1-1/2 length back in second with Better In Heels (Paul Davies) in the show spot.

Also trained and owned by Bill McClure, Whiskey Blue Chip (Stag Party - Sunnyseventyfive) notched her third win of the season and fourth lifetime to lift her career earnings to $58,215.

While not kept eligible to this series, a filly that might become a familiar foe to these sophomores coming up this stakes season is  Superior Delight. That daughter of Bettors Delight - Modena Hanover picked up her fifth straight win in overnight action, stopping the clock in a career best 1:53.2 for driver Doug McNair, trainer Kyle Fellows and owners Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood and Hassan Allahmoradi of Orton, Ont. She paid $3.80 to win.

For the full charted results from Thursday's card of harness racing outside of Campbellville, Ont., click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(Standardbred Canada)