After turning heads with a scintillating 1:51.2 effort in his most recent appearance, Stormont Shanly Boy will make his first start for new connections after a private sale late last month.
A half-brother to 2018 O'Brien Award finalist Stormont Ventnor, Stormont Shanly Boy has certainly made a name for himself at the end of his sophomore season. Notching all six of his career wins in his last 10 starts, and just missing by a head in the 2026 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final, the son of Muscle Mass-Lady Grenville will make his first start for new owner Pollack Racing LLC and new trainer David Menary on Sunday, Nov. 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
While not his most lucrative effort, Stormont Shanly Boy's most recent appearance on Sunday, Oct. 25 could definitely be considered one of his most impressive. On a night where three-time O'Brien Award winner Logan Park prevailed in Mohawk's Open Trot in a time of 1:52.1, Stormont Shanly Boy scorched the Campbellville oval one race prior in 1:51.2 in the $100,000 final of the Harvest Series.
Finishing third in that race was the (at the time) Kevin Benn-trained stablemate, Stormont Fast Boy. According to Marc Reynolds, Racehorse Manager for Pollack Racing, a deal was made to obtain both trotters from Stormont Meadows' Eric Baker.
"My job is to scout horses for Tom [Pollack], we're obviously more engaged in Ontario than we've ever been," Reynolds told Trot Insider. "I like to try to buy some three-year-olds coming forward at the end of every year. Kevin Benn is someone that I've done quite a bit of business with through the years. I just have a great deal of respect for Kevin as a trainer and as a person. And I had reached out to Kevin and inquired, and I know Mr. Baker, who owns the Stormont farm, typically, likes to just keep his stakes-type horses. And we were able to agree and come to terms on the pair."
After a winless three-start rookie season in 2025, Stormont Shanly Boy has finished in the top three in 13 of his 17 seasonal starts (6-4-3) with $253,920 in earnings.
"One of the things in the decision in pursuing him is he's had 20 lifetime starts and he's never made a break, so that was something that really kind of caught me," added Reynolds. "But I really like the way that Kevin's managed him. He's kind of raced him from off the trot a lot, but no trotting hopples, never any Lasix. From my eye, he just kind of seems to be getting a little bit better each start, and that was kind of part of the reason that we sought him."
Stormont Shanly Boy reminds Reynolds of another late-blooming son of Muscle Mass he had a hand in helping acquire: $926,000 winner Lovedbythemasses.
And if the recent efforts of Stormont Fast Boy are any indication, Stormont Shanly Boy's debut for Pollack Racing LLC on Sunday, Nov. 15 at Mohawk will be one to watch. Stormont Fast Boy was a comfortable 1:54 winner in his debut for trainer Menary on Nov. 7 in the second iteration of the Harvest Series. He's the 4-5 choice on Saturday night in the second $25,000 Harvest Series leg.
On Sunday, Stormont Shanly Boy is the slight 3-1 morning line favourite in the sixth race, a $33,000 conditioned event where he must overcome post 10 against a stout group of older trotters that show Open level activity. James MacDonald gets the driving assignment.
For Sunday's entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Stormont Shanly Boy)