Jack Darling trainee Daya delivered a Simcoe Stakes record performance in the $151,000 division for sophomore pacing fillies during a night filled with Grand Circuit and Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series action at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, Sept. 4.

After driver Jody Jamieson perched 4-5 favourite Daya behind pacesetter Lavender Seelster (Louis-Philippe Roy) through a clip of :26.2 and :54.4 in the Grade 3 stakes event, he angled his charge outside and disposed of the leader with ease. The daughter of Bulldog Hanover-Beach Of A Time kicked for the finish while under late pressure to win in 1:49 flat by a half length over Easy Station (Doug McNair), who rallied from second-over to take second. Jen Tilly (James MacDonald) closed from third-over for third and Lavender Seelster finished fourth.

Daya's career-best performance lowered the stakes record of 1:49.1 that was established by Tall Drink Hanover in 2019.

“I was very impressed with how tough she was,” commented Darling after the race. “She’s as good as she can be right now, so I expected a big effort out of her, but that was really tough."

Following the victory, Darling said he would reconsider Daya’s stakes schedule, including possibly supplementing for other upcoming races.

“I never thought about it [supplementing to the Jugette], but I will now,” said Darling. “Because there’s the Breeders Crown too, that’s a big supplement. They’re things to think about, but that would be down the road. 

"She’s never been on a half. I think she’d be fine because she gets around the turns good.”

Winning for the third time from 10 starts this season and the eighth time from 22 starts in her career, Daya has now banked $789,000 for owner/breeder Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge, Ont. 

Daya paid $3.60 to win. ​

Matt Bax pupil Storybook Love, who capped off her O'Brien Award-winning freshman season victorious in the Grade 1 Breeders Crown, notched the first win of her sophomore campaign with a comfortable 1:53.1 victory at her home track in the first of two divisions of the Grade 3 Simcoe Stakes for the three-year-old trotting fillies.

Sent off as the 2-5 favourite in the first $79,000 division, driver Todd Ratchford left with Storybook Love to lead through a :28 first quarter. She encountered a mid-race challenge when Bingo Night (Tyler Jones) looped out of third to push for command into a :57.4 half, but Storybook Love tracked steadily from the pocket until Ratchford eased her off the pylons to three-quarters in 1:25.3. Once given racetrack, Storybook Love zipped by Bingo Night and strolled down the lane under wraps for a 1-1/2-length win. Courtneys Promise (Trevor Henry) kicked from a close stalking trip for second with Barbara May (Doug McNair) following suit in third and Bingo Night ending up fourth.

“I couldn’t ask for a better race to get it done,” said Ratchford in a post-race interview. “She's had her struggles this year, but she’s raced pretty good throughout the year, so to see her actually get a win is good. 

"Last week at Yonkers [in a New York Sire Stakes], she got run into in the last turn and made a break -- interference. I thought she was probably going to win that race, so I was really confident coming into this one. I figured it was between me and Bingo Night. I figured if I could get a little cover, that’s all she needed and away she went.”

A daughter of Chapter Seven-Stirling Debutant bred by Alan and Larry Troyer, Storybook Love notched her first win of the season in her 11th start while collecting her fifth victory from 23 starts in her career. She's earned $861,079 for owners Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont., and Brad Grant of Milton, Ont.

Storybook Love paid $2.90 to win.

Ill Have The Red and driver Trevor Henry earned the upset in the other $78,000 Simcoe Stakes division for three-year-old trotting fillies when working out a pocket trip and inheriting the lead late to score in a career-best 1:53.1 for trainer Rick Zeron. 

Henry pushed Ill Have The Red forward to clear to command after a :27.4 quarter over odds-on favourite Blue Jean Gal (James MacDonald), but the chalk swiftly tipped outside to circle back to the lead before a :57.1 half. Henry followed the bettors' choice through the last turn and past three-quarters in 1:25.1 before finding himself on the lead when Blue Jean Gal broke stride in the stretch. Ill Have The Red assumed command and held her ground in the stretch to win by 2-1/2 lengths in a 16-1 upset over Twin B Showbiz (Tyler Borth), who rallied from near last for second. M E Laurel (Mark MacDonald) took third from a ground-saving trip.

“I wanted to be behind James [MacDonald and Blue Jean Gal] and it worked out that way,” said Henry after the race. “Last week, she had trouble in the last turn – she was labouring in pretty good on me – and we put a gaiting pole on her tonight. She still did it a little tonight, but we were able to keep closer and it helped. She felt good; I’m not saying I would’ve beat James, but I hadn’t really asked her. Once we straighten up, she usually kicks in. Tonight, we had pullout earplugs and when I kicked the plugs, she did kick in.”

Scoring her third win from 13 starts this season and her fifth win from 21 starts in her career, Ill Have The Red pushed her earnings to $194,488. Bred by Black Horse Racing and John Fielding, the daughter of Chapter Seven-Shishito is owned by Rick Zeron Stables of Oakville, Ont., James Walker of Port Perry, Ont., and Johnny Marvento of Montreal, Que. 

Ill Have The Red returned $34.50 to her backers at the betting windows.

Mohawk also hosted the fourth leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Series for two-year-old trotters on Friday.

Detonater Hanover posted his first OSS victory while winning the $150,000 division for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings. The son of Muscle Mass out of Dancing Flames defeated fellow 6-5 shot D A Johnny Cash (Doug McNair), the slight favourite, by a neck in 1:54.1 for the father and son team of trainer and owner Dr. Ian Moore and driver Tyler Moore.

Off the gate, Trevor Henry sent Kountry Cantab to the lead from the outside post seven and battled both Detonater Hanover and Three Six Zero (Jody Jamieson) in the turn to a :28.1 quarter.

“Going into that turn, Jody somehow got out there and it was a little tight, so I had to move over some for him,” said Tyler Moore after the race. “But I didn't want any problems, so I ended up being three-wide for the first turn, which wasn't ideal, but the colt hung tough. He got a cheap middle half, we'll call it, but he was definitely live turning for home.”

Detonater Hanover cleared past the three-eighths mark and led the field through middle fractions of :57 and 1:26.4 with D A Johnny Cash in pursuit into the final turn. In the stretch, the two trotters battled all the way to the wire, but Detonater Hanover never gave quarter. Three Six Zero finished more than two lengths back in third ahead of Kountry Cantab.

The victory pushed Detonater Hanover's bankroll to $268,482 and improved his record to 4-1-0 in seven starts for owner Detonater Hanover Stable of Cambridge, Ont., which purchased the colt for $112,676 at the 2025 Standardbred Horse Sale.

Dr. Moore said Detonater Hanover earned a rest with the victory.

“He’s had seven starts already, counting tonight, and he's had two times three in a row, which is a lot in my books for a baby,” said Dr. Moore. “So, he's going to get a week in the paddock now, whether he wants it or not, and won't race again for at least two weeks from now.”

Detonater Hanover paid $4.70 to win.

King Of The North fillies Major Contender and Flawless Lady each won their $100,000 Gold divisions.

In the first freshman trotting filly division, Major Contender, sent off at 6-1 in the field of nine, led most of the way for the father and son team of trainer Carl Jamieson and driver Jody Jamieson to win by a half-length over the 1-9 favourite Verily (Louis-Philippe Roy) in a career-best clocking of 1:54.

Major Contender pressed forward between rivals and nosed out first leaver Simea (Trevor Henry) at the quarter pole in :27.3, clearing to command shortly after. She continued to lead past a half in :56.3 and three-quarters in 1:25.3 as Verily charged first-up and fanned wide with Simea pocket-pulling in front of her at the head of the lane and Rebel Moon (James MacDonald) joining the fray four-wide in the drive to the finish. Major Contender dug in as those fillies closed in and prevailed, with Verily taking second over Rebel Moon.

“[Major Contender is] so smart,” noted Jody Jamieson in a post-race interview. “She was just waiting on me to call on her at any point, behind the gate, the quarter or whatever. And you know, I just reacted. Louis was coming out of there [with Verily]. It looked like he was going to get an easy lead, so I pushed through the middle and you know forced the pace a little bit, caused him to go back, and my filly just did her thing. She’s never been tired crossing the line other than maybe some bad drives or some tough trips that I've given her.” 

Major Contender paid $14.80 to win. It was second win of Major Contender’s career in her seventh start. Her other victory was also in Gold competition on July 23. Major Contender has now earned $161,533.

Out of the mare Major Muscle, Major Contender is owned by her trainer along with 1140545 Ontario Ltd. of Guelph, Ont., David Lemon of London, Ont., and George Harrison of Preston, Lancashire, England. She was a $154,930 yearling purchase last fall from the Standardbred Horse Sale.

“This filly is just a sweetheart,” gushed Jody Jamieson. “I call her pretty lady when I come over and talk to her… I've loved her since the day I first laid eyes on her; it was love at first sight. We bought her in Harrisburg last year and we couldn't be happier with her how she's going.”

In the second division, James MacDonald piloted 1-2 favourite Flawless Lady to her first stakes victory in a career-best 1:55.

After Song From Heaven (Tyler Borth) made front by the :28.3 quarter pole, Flawless Lady took over and posted fractions of :57.4 and 1:26.3 before holding on by a head over late closers Twin B Kingsley (Trevor Henry) and Dreamtrade (Bob McClure).

“[Flawless Lady] felt like she was trying hard and travelling well,” said MacDonald. “So, I just tried to squeeze as much out of her as we could to kind of hang on, but she raced awesome and I’m just happy to be along for the ride.”

Flawless Lady, who is out of Hillbar, was purchased for $41,667 at the 2025 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale by Doug McIntosh of Wheatley, Ont., Bev Snobelen of Ridgetown, Ont., and Randy Liepa of Livonia, Michigan. Previously trained and driven by recently-retired Hall of Famer Paul MacDonell, Flawless Lady is now conditioned by Julie Walker.

She has won two consecutive races while earning $69,775 from six starts.

“She was looked a little erratic early, and Paul did a great job getting her settled down,” said MacDonald. “Now, she's kind of been put on the front both times, but both times she raced really well and hung on tonight,”

Flawless Lady paid $3.10 to win.

One race earlier in a $21,000 conditioned distaff pace, MacDonald teamed up with the streaking three-year-old filly Mollys On Fire, who earned her fifth straight victory and lowered her lifetime mark to 1:51.3 for trainer Jason Libby and owners Lorrie Keeling of Dorchester, Ont., and Matthew Bassett of Chesterfield, New Jersey.

Simcoe Stakes and Ontario Sires Stakes action will continue on Saturday's undercard. The 6:30 p.m. program will feature the Grade 1 Canadian Pacing Derby and Maple Leaf Trot along with the Grade 2 Milton Stakes. 

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

(Woodbine, Ontario Racing & Standardbred Canada; photo of Daya winning on Sept. 4)