Monday’s twelve-race program at Grand River Raceway was a night dedicated to rookies, as the Elora half-miler hosted eliminations for the Battle Of Waterloo, Battle Of The Belles and Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series.

Here's a complete recap of what transpired in each of the eliminations:

Battle Of Waterloo eliminations

Mach Pride matched Prodigal Seelster’s Canadian record of 1:53.2 with his elimination win for the tandem of driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Louie Eftimiadis. The homebred colt, who was sent off as the 6-5 second choice, lined up his foes in a hurry and rolled through panels of :28.2, :57.3 and 1:25.4 before tacking on a final quarter of :27.3 to get the job done over the 4-5 favourite, Tarpon Hanover. Santanna One was a distant third.

The son of Mach Three-Cyber Wave, who is owned by Gerald Mijal of Westland, MI, now owns a 5-1-1 record in seven starts this season. The lion’s share of the $29,000 purse bumped his earnings to $140,500.

Windsong Jack won as he pleased in a time of 1:55.1 in the second elimination for the team of driver Scott Zeron and trainer Dave Menary. Zeron got away in mid-pack with the 1-9 favourite while Brocks Fortune and May Day battled to the quarter in :28.2. May Day cleared but Brocks Fortune came right back around to reclaim the lead – a lead that was a short lived one. Windsong Jack muscled his way to the position of command and never looked back through fractions of :58.2 and 1:26.1. Longshot Brocks Fortune was a solid runner-up, with Bobby Hill rounding out the top three finishers.

The son of Santanna Blue Chip, who is the first foal out of the OSS star, Milliondollarsmile (1:50.2 - $457,650), was a $48,000 purchase from last year’s Canadian Yearling Sale. He is owned by Larry Menary, Kenneth Ewen, Denis Breton and Geoffrey Lyons Mound. The colt owns a 2-2-0 record from four starts, and he’s banked $69,000 in the process.

Adversary Seelster marched to the top and didn’t look back in his $29,000 elimination for trainer/driver Joe Hudon. The son of Badlands Hanover-Alias Seelster was allowed to steal away with fractions of :29.2, :59.2 and 1:28.3 before sprinting home in :27.3 to win in 1:56.1 over Bad Boy Hill and Soevil.

It was the second win in three tries for the colt who was purchased for $35,000 from last year’s Forest City Yearling Sale. Hudon shares ownership on the freshman with Robert Rubin of Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Here’s the post draw for the final:

$300,000 Battle Of Waterloo
1. Soevil
2. Bad Boy Hill
3. Bobby Hill
4. Windsong Jack
5. Santanna One
6. Tarpon Hanover
7. Brocks Fortune
8. Adversary Seelster
9. Mach Pride

Battle Of The Belles eliminations

Its No Secret wired up the eight foes she sparred with in the second elimination, and she did so in an effortless manner for driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Shawn Robinson. The filly left hard from her pole position starting spot, and after lining up her rivals she zipped through panels of :28.4, :59 and 1:27.3 before turning on the afterburners. Her :28.2 closing panel helped her kick away to win by open lengths in 1:56. Macharoundtheclock was second best to the 4-5 favourite, with Burlesque taking home the show dough.

Owned and bred by Bob Hamather of Exeter, ON, Its No Secret improved her rookie record to 3-1-0 in four starts. The $12,000 payday helped lift her lifetime earnings to $73,500.

Raise Your Glass and driver Scott Zeron were sitting ninth and last at the half, but they were the first to the finish line in the opening elimination for this year’s Battle Of The Belles. Mary Celeste hustled the field through fractions of :27.2, :57 and 1:27.1 before she was overtaken by a host of backfield challengers. Zeron pulled the trigger on Raise Your Glass in the late going and she responded by circling around foes when the tempo started to slow. She stopped the teletimer in 1:58 en route to defeating Jan It Jackson and Ruthless Hill.

Trainer Tony Monica of Howell, NJ co-owns the daughter of Santanna Blue Chip-Gamblers Daughter with Mike Timpano of Phelpston, ON. Together, the partners have watched the filly assemble a 3-1-0 record in her first four assignments. The homebred has banked $43,000 to date.

Here are the results of the post position draw:

$150,000 Battle Of The Belles
1. Kamkar Kutie
2. Raise Your Glass
3. Ruthless Hill
4. Glinda Good Witch
5. Jan It Jackson
6. Macharoundtheclock
7. Its No Secret
8. Best Impressions
9. Burlesque

OSS Gold Series eliminations

Sam Hayes was a front-stepping winner in his elimination, and he did so at odds of 5-1 in a time of 2:02. Dave Boughton had battled to the quarter pole in :30.3 with Majestized before briefly taking a backseat to that rival. Boughton released that foe before retaking command and leading the field through middle fractions of 1:01 and 1:32.1 en route to the narrow tally over Majestized. Gotta Secret rounded out the top three finishers in the nine-horse affair.

Trainer Don Lindsey co-owns the son of Angus Hall-Fin De Maye with his father, Paul Lindsey, and Paul Kleinpaste. It was the second win in three tries for the youngster, who was purchased for $13,000 from last year’s Canadian Yearling Sale.

Sparky Gypsy was sent off as the 8-5 favourite in his elimination, and he delivered on that pari-mutuel promise by winning in 2:01.3 for driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Chris Beaver. The son of Mr Lavec-Escadilla came first-over and wore down Dewer Kash, who supplied the field with fractions of :30.2, 1:01.4 and 1:31.3. Dewer Kash held on for the runner-up award, with third prize going to Photo Mass.

Chris and Johanna Beaver of Delaware, OH share ownership on the career winner of $45,600 with Bill Manes of Rockwood, ON, and collectively the partners have watched the rookie put together a 1-1-1 record in his first four assignments.

Creampuff Macdaddy survived a first over journey for driver Jack Moiseyev to take home the lion’s share of the $40,000 purse in the first elimination. The son of Ken Warkentin-Celebrity Cream, who was winless in his first two tries, watched Third Pat throw down first-half fractions of :29.1 and :59.2 before going after that foe. Creampuff Macdaddy, who accelerated to get right beside Third Pat at the three-quarter pole in 1:30.3, used a :30-second closing kick to defeat Third Pat by 3-1/4 lengths in 2:01. Filthy Paddy was a distant third.

Brad Maxwell trains the youngster for owner Doug Millard of Woodstock, ON. The colt, who was a $22,000 purchase from last year’s Canadian Yearling Sale, has banked $21,920 to date.

Here’s the post position draw for the final:

$130,000 OSS Gold Series Final
1. Filthy Paddy
2. Sam Hayes
3. Sparky Gypsy
4. Third Pat
5. Photo Mass
6. Gotta Secret
7. Dewer Kash
8. Creampuff Macdaddy
9. Majestized

All three of the finals will be contested during Grand River Raceway's Industry Day celebration, which takes on Monday, August 6.

To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Grand River Raceway.