The winners of the 2024 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals for two-year-old pacers look poised to vigorously defend those titles in two weeks time.

Before that, there's a good chance both Chantilly and Crack Shot will compete in the final OSS Gold leg for their respective divisions on Thursday, Oct. 2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

In advance of those tests, sophomore standouts Chantilly and Crack Shot were in action during the nine-race qualifying session on Friday, Sept. 26 at Mohawk.  

With regular pilot James MacDonald stateside on Friday for stakes action at The Red Mile, Chantilly had the driving services of Louis-Philippe Roy for her qualifier on Friday. That tandem tripped the timer in 1:52.1 after cutting all the fractions, sprinting home in :27.2 under no urging to finish eight lengths ahead of Rocks Shadow (Louis Gregg).

The 2024 Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year, Chantilly (Big Jim - Shiraz Seelster) is owned by breeder Millar Farms of Stouffville, Ont. She sports a record of 13-1-0 from 16 career starts with more than $1 million in earnings.

A vet scratch from his most recently scheduled appearance in the 2025 Kentucky Championship Final on Sept. 14, Crack Shot comfortably bested a number of familiar foes in his Friday qualifier. On top at every call for driver Doug McNair, the sophomore pacer smoked home in :26.2 for the 1:53.2 tally, nearly two lengths the best. Fellow Gold level competitors Control Rocks (Tyler Borth) and Docs Buddy (Roy) followed the leader across the finish line.

Gregg McNair trains and co-owns Crack Shot (Bettors Delight - Beautyonthebeach) along with Ontario-based owners Dale Hunter of London, Frank Brundle of East Garafraxa and George Kerr of Gowanstown. The bay colt is a nine-time winner in his career with more than $514,000 in purses accrued.

After a stateside summer campaign, top-class terror Saulsbrook Victor made his first on-track appearance since June and his first Canadian appearance since Feb. 1 in qualifying action, a wire-to-wire winner in 1:52 — the fastest mile of the morning — for driver-owner Brett MacDonald and trainer Ron MacDonald. 

The full video stream is available below. 

For results from the qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (Qualifiers).

(Standardbred Canada; Chantilly pictured with caretaker Candace Nivins)