The regular season is officially over for the stars of the Ontario Sires Stakes after a five-pack of OSS Gold Series divisions were contested Tuesday evening at Mohawk Racetrack.
A set of $105,000 splits for three-year-old trotting fillies were followed by a trio of $70,000 divisions for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Sweetie Hearts has made a pile of money in recent weeks, and the pile got a lot bigger thanks to her 1:55 triumph in the first division for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Randy Waples got away second with the Ron Parsons pupil, who brushed to the top in the second quarter. Once in charge of the tempo the sophomore cruised through middle panels of :57 and 1:26.2 before sprinting home in :28.3 en route to the 1:55 score. Kate Smith came on late to finish second, with Miss Liv tiring late to grab third.
Sent off as the 1-5 favourite, Sweetie Hearts improved her 2014 record to 4-3-3 from 15 starts for owner/breeder Bob Key of Leechburg, Pennsylvania. She’s stashed away in excess of $280,000 this season and more than $337,000 to date.
Riveting Rosie romped to an easy victory in the second division for the tandem of driver Paul MacDonell and trainer John Bax.
MacDonell hustled the O’Brien Award-winning daughter of Muscle Mass-Rose De Vie Stena to the lead from Post 6 and she successfully chopped out panels of :27, :56.3 and 1:26 before rolling home in a :28-second clip en route to the win by 4-3/4 lengths over White Becomes Her in 1:54. Mayberry was a well-beaten third.
Parkhill Stud Farm, Don Allensen, J And T Stable Newmarket and John Hayes share ownership on the nine-time winner who now boasts a 3-2-2 record from 13 trips to the track this season. Her earnings climbed to $745,293 with the win.
The rookies trotting colts and geldings were up next, and the first $70,000 division went to upset winner Rise Up Rise Up and driver Mike Saftic.
The Sue Gangell trainee was treated to a two-hole behind Hemi Seelster and then race favourite Infiniti AS through panels of :28, :57.4 and 1:28.1. Saftic launched his charge to the outside in the lane and the gelding used a :28.2 closing quarter to win by half a length in 1:57.1 over Infiniti AS and Gronk.
It was a maiden-breaking win for the son of Holiday Road-Dixieland Jazz who is owned by Terry De Matteo, Mark Searles and 648885 Ontario Limited. The lion’s share of the loot offered lifted the lightly-raced youngster’s lifetime earnings to $46,900.
Heavy fog rolled into the Campbellville oval for the two remaining divisions, but it didn’t stop Alacrity from pulling off the 11-1 upset in his assignment for trainer/driver Eddie Green. The son of Pilgrims Tag-Elena won by a length over A Little More Love, with race favourite Caulfield settling for third prize.
Kristine Green of Ohsweken, Ontario owns the two-time winner who boosted his bankroll to $136,850 with the win. He was a $30,000 purchase from last year’s Canadian Yearling Sale.
Dont Rush was a driving away winner in the final division, with his final margin of victory being seven lengths over Luck O The Irish and Nightontheroad in 1:57.3.
Chris Christoforou mapped out the winning trip for the heavily-favoured son of Infinitif-Color Me Pretty. The homebred colt, who hangs his harness bag in the barn of trainer Dustin Jones, is owned by Dustin Jones Stables Inc and Greg Judson. The win improved his record to 3-3-1 from 10 trips postward and the lion’s share of the purse lifted his cash stash to $171,985.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.