Hambletonian winner Forbidden Trade raced patiently through the mile and trotted past his competition in the stretch to take the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Super Final for three-year-old trotting colts on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Driver Bob McClure floated Forbidden Trade into sixth as All Wrapped Up led to a :27.1 opening quarter. McClure soon edged the Luc Blais trainee from the cones and caught cover from Jumpshot passing a :56.3 half. However Jumpshot stalled rounding the final turn, forcing Forbidden Trade three wide past three-quarters in 1:25 while All Wrapped Up got a headstart on the stretch drive.
Pocket-sitter Manatlas popped wide entering the stretch and overtook All Wrapped Up entering the final eighth. But Forbidden Trade trotted past under slight urging from McClure to win going away in 1:53. Manatlas settled for second with All Wrapped Up third.
“It feels just as special this year,” said McClure on winning back-to-back OSS titles for Forbidden Trade. “He’s had a great year and we’re not quite done yet but we’re finishing in the right order.
“I was really happy to get some cover [around the last turn],” McClure also said. “Obviously it’s somebody else to do the roadwork, and he’s got a pretty nice colt there. Louis[-Philippe Roy on All Wrapped Up] kind of got away on us—they did their best to [try and] beat him but he’s a pretty nice horse and he usually gets the job done.”
“I think that everything worked out," said Blais of Forbidden Trade's journey. "He had to go there and take his time, and after that we were comfortable ... I was very, very happy.”
Owned by Determination, Forbidden Trade won his eighth race from 13 starts this season—surpassing $1 million in earnings on the year—and his 15th from 24 overall, earning $1,371,627. The Kadabra colt paid $3.00 to win.
(with quotes from the Ontario Sires Stakes)