Woodbine Mohawk Park hosts the eight 2024 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Super Finals on Saturday, Oct. 12, featuring the brightest stars of the provincial program.
A total of $2.4 million in purses will be up for grabs as top trotters and pacers face off at the Campbellville, Ont. oval. New to the Super Finals this year, winners of the OSS Grassroots finals could enter the Super Finals if that field did not fill.
Here's a preview of what fans can look forward to this Saturday night.
The second race of the night kicks off the Ontario Sires Stakes action, with the top two-year-old trotting fillies in the province competing for the $300,000 purse. Track record holder Monalishi (PP5, James MacDonald, 4-5) has yet to taste defeat in the provincial program, and that daughter of Green Manalishi S faces nine rivals here including the filly that almost picked her off in their last matchup, Lil Sweet (PP6, Doug McNair, 9-2), and Grassroots final winner Tellers Choice (PP3, Samuel Fillion, 6-1).
Chantilly (PP3, MacDonald, 1-5) has been the cream of the two-year-old pacing filly crop, rising to third in the most recent Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll. The daughter of Big Jim has yet to taste defeat in eight career appearances, and shoots for nine straight in Saturday's third race. Macapelo Seelster (PP7, Tyler Borth, 12-1) was her closest rival, finishing second by three lengths, in the final Gold leg.
The fourth race of the evening is the most compact Super Final field with eight three-year-old trotting fillies slated to compete. Willys Home Run (PP6, MacDonald, 3-2) is the fastest filly in the field by virtue of her 1:53 score in the last Gold leg. R Liza (PP7, Jody Jamieson, 8-5) is the richest filly in the group this year and the division's point leader. Grassroots final winner Love Those Legs (PP3, Louis-Philippe Roy, 12-1) joins the fray.
Consistent two-year-old trotting colts Galen Erso (PP1, Doug McNair, 5-2) and You Got It Kemp (PP9, Sylvain Filion, 8-5) drew on opposite ends of the starting gate in their division's Super Final, slated as the fifth race of the evening. The divisional point leaders — Galen Erso sporting a 175-150 edge — face eight rivals, including Grassroots champ Wendell Blue Chip (PP3, Trevor Henry, 12-1) making his Gold debut.
Harness racing's top-ranked three-year-old pacing filly, Its A Love Thing (PP3, MacDonald, 1-1), will look to rebound off back-to-back losses for the first time this season in her division's Super Final, heading postward in the sixth race. After spending a few months racing in the Bluegrass State, Blazing Belle (PP7, McNair, 4-1) returned north and provided the 55-1 upset over Its A Love Thing last time out. Collusion Hanover (PP6, Roy, 8-1) has won her last three starts at Mohawk, including the Grassroots finale.
A robust group of rookie pacing males has been assembled for Saturday's seventh dash. Five of the 10 colts and geldings entered have won Gold legs this year, with Battle of Waterloo champ Stonebridge Wizard (PP10, Filion, 15-1) leading the point standings, sporting the most seasonal wins and earnings and bringing in the best record. Going from the far outside to the far inside, Sterling Choice (PP1, Roy, 9-2) has wins in his last two stakes appearances. The morning line choice, however, is Grassroots final winner Crack Shot (PP8, McNair, 3-1).
Making just his seventh lifetime start on Saturday, Paquet (PP4, Jamieson, 6-5) will most certainly go postward in Saturday's eighth race as the favourite in the Super Final for three-year-old male trotters. The son of Muscle Mass sports wins in both of his provincial stakes appearances to top his division, and looks to cap his OSS career with his biggest payday to date. What About Elmo (PP2, Tyler Jones, 5-1) uncorked the mile of his life in the last Gold leg, and that 1:52.4 record is the fastest in the field.
The final OSS Super Final of the evening goes to the glamour boys, with nine three-year-old male pacers assembled for the ninth race on Saturday night. Point leader Nijinsky (PP8, Roy, 2-5) hasn't been bested in provincial stakes action this year, and looks to rebound off a choked mile in the 2024 Little Brown Jug elim — his only off-the-board finish this year. He's one of four Anthony Beaton pupils in this group, with Wikipedia (PP2, Travis Cullen, 6-1) prevailing in the most recent Gold. Grassroots final winner Century Komodo (PP3, McNair, 15-1) returns to the top level for his provincial swan song.
First race post time on Saturday night is 7:10 p.m. with the Super Finals starting in the back half of the early daily double. The first 300 people on site to buy a program will receive a commemorative 50th anniversary OSS hat.
To view Saturday's entries, click on one of the following links: Woodbine Mohawk Park: Saturday Entries || Saturday Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).
(Standardbred Canada)