When the two-year-old trotting fillies kick off their Ontario Sires Stakes season at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday, July 5, the third Gold Series leg will feature a rare family reunion.

Lining up behind the starting gate will be both a daughter and a granddaughter of broodmare Red Hot And Blue.

The Valley Victory mare’s daughter Oceana will start from Post 6 for Eddie Green of Ohsweken, who owns, trains, and drives the filly. By stallion Cornaro Dasolo, Oceana comes into the Gold Series test off a trio of qualifiers over Mohawk Racetrack. After making breaks on both June 8 and June 14, the filly seemed to put it all together on June 22 and laid down a sharp 2:03.2 clocking in a runner-up effort.

On the starting gate to Oceana’s left, at Post 4, will be Torches Star, whose dam is her half-sister Torch. The richest of Red Hot And Blue’s offspring to date, Torch earned $357,537 in her racing career, with $202,806 of that coming in the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

Torches Star will be the second of Torch’s daughters to compete in the provincial program, and the Angus Hall lass heads into her first start off a trio of impressive qualifiers at Mohawk. The filly won her qualifying races on June 8 and 14 in 2:03.3 and 2:02.1, respectively, then finished fifth on June 26 with a 2:01.1 effort.

Trainer Ben Wallace and owner Brad Grant, both of Milton, will entrust Torches Star to the care of veteran reinsman Steve Condren of Milton, who was also in the race bike for her last two qualifiers.

Mohawk Racetrack’s Friday evening program begins at 7:25 p.m., and the spotlight will be on the two-year-old trotting fillies in Races 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9. The program also features the first leg of the Town Pro Series for three-year-old pacing fillies in Races 5 and 8.

To view the harness racing entries for Friday at Mohawk, click the following link: Friday Entries - Mohawk Racetrack.

(OSS)