Chantilly returned to the track after more than a month away on Thursday, Oct. 2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and pulled away in the lane to dominate the lone $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Leg 5 event for three-year-old pacing fillies.
James MacDonald kept Chantilly to the outside heading into the first turn, placing her on the helmet of Doug McNair, driving Eternal Delight. That rival took the front at the quarter in :26.4 but put up no resistance as Chantilly cruised to the lead coming down the backstretch. Chantilly provided the middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:24.3 and powered away to win by eight lengths over Eternal Delight in 1:50.2, coming home in :25.4. Millie May Hanover (Billy Davis Jr.) was third.
Chantilly was making her first pari-mutuel start since she faded in the stretch of her Gold start on Aug. 24 at Rideau Carleton Raceway and finished sixth.
In the winner’s circle, Chantilly’s trainer, Nick Gallucci, told Woodbine’s Randy Waples that the season has been full of ups and downs.
"It's definitely been a roller coaster I don't want to be part of," he said. "Last year, we never had any bumps in the road, and it was just a smooth year. But this year, she got a touch of pneumonia before the Fan Hanover, and that set us back. And then we felt like we had her back on her toes and then the two long-distance trips set us back again. She just didn't seem to handle being away from home very well.
"I ended up having to just give her a bit of time, and she seems like she's back to herself tonight. It’s so very nice to see.”
Thursday’s victory improved Chantilly's record to 14-1-0 in 17 career starts. Following her perfect nine-for-nine freshman season which earned her the Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year Award, Chantilly has won five of eight starts this year. She’s made $1,143,462 lifetime. The daughter of Big Jim-Shiraz Seelster is a homebred for Millar Farms of Stouffville, Ont.
The win was the seventh OSS Gold victory of Chantilly’s career, counting last year’s Super Final triumph. She has won three of the four Gold events she has raced in this campaign.
Gallucci said that, barring any further heath issues, Chantilly will contest the Breeders Crown after next Saturday’s OSS Super Final.
Sent off at 1-9 in the field of seven, Chantilly paid $2.10.
In the $140,000 OSS Gold Leg 5 event for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, Crack Shot posted his second Gold win of the year to go along with two second-place finishes in the series.
Crack Shot took the front from favoured Allstar Maniac (MacDonald) after the quarter in :26.4 and led to the half in :55.2. Boxer Seelster (Trevor Henry) attacked nearing three-quarters in 1:24, and the battle was on down the lane, but Crack Shot found another gear late and sprinted home in :25.4 to win by three lengths. Boxer Seelster and Fifth And Five (Jody Jamieson) dead-heated for second.
Doug McNair drove the winning son of Bettors Delight-Beautyonthebeach to the 1:49.4 victory for his father, Crack Shot’s trainer Gregg McNair of Guelph, Ont., who co-owns the colt with Dale Hunter of London, Ont., Frank Brundle of East Garafraxa, Ont., and George Kerr of Gowanstown, Ont. Crack Shot improved to 10-5-1 in 21 starts lifetime. He is five-for-13 in 2025. The pacer, bred by Jim Avritt Sr., has earned $584,160 lifetime.
Sent off at 2-1, Crack Shot paid $6.80 to win.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Ontario Racing)