The stakes season for Ontario-sired three-year-olds launches this weekend with the SBOA Stakes eliminations at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The SBOA Stakes will require eliminations for three of the four divisions, to be contested over Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4. The SBOA Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings did not require eliminations with nine entered.
The top five finishers in all of this weekend’s eliminations will advance to the finals on Saturday, May 11.
Top performers in their division last season, O'Brien Award winner Pass Line (pictured above) and runner-up Its A Love Thing have drawn away from each other as part of 19 entered three-year-old pacing fillies.
Pass Line will headline Friday’s first $25,000 pacing filly elimination, starting from post three with driver James MacDonald. The daughter of All Bets Off captured last year’s Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final before finishing runner-up in the Breeders Crown. On Friday, she will make her season's debut after racking up more than $680,000 in earnings as a rookie.
Dave Menary once again will train Pass Line north of the border for Ron Burke.
The Menary stable will then send out its star Its A Love Thing from post five in the $25,000 second elimination. The daughter of Bettors Delight will make her season debut after winning six of 12 and earning more than $560,000 last year. She notably won last season’s Shes A Great Lady with driver James MacDonald, who again will do the driving.
A filly that will have close eyes on her in the second elimination is Coco Jo Jo. The Anthony Beaton trainee rallied from last with a blazing :25.1 final quarter to win a 'non-winners of two' race last Friday at Mohawk Park. Tyler Borth will drive the Betterthancheddar filly from post three.
The SBOA Filly Pace eliminations go as Races 6 and 8 on Friday.
The SBOA Filly Trot will also have two eliminations on Friday, as 15 sophomores were entered in the event.
O’Brien Award winner Willys Home Run will make her season's debut in the first elimination, leaving from post two with James MacDonald. The Kyle Fellows trainee won six of 10 and never finished outside the top three last season, earning more than $520,000. The Archangel filly won the OSS Super Final in dominant fashion to complete her two-year-old season.
Champlain Stakes division winner Valuable Miss is the slight morning line favourite in the second elimination. The Kyle Bossence trainee was second in last year’s Super Final to finish off a two-win season with nearly $200,000 earned. Sylvain Filion will drive the My MVP filly for the first time, leaving from post three.
The SBOA Filly Trot eliminations are carded as Races 1 and 3 on Friday.
On Saturday night, the SBOA Colt Pace eliminations will be contested.
A total of 12 sophomore pacing colts and geldings were entered to set up two six-horse eliminations. Despite the short fields, the eliminations should provide a pair of entertaining clashes.
Multiple OSS Gold winner and Nassagaweya Stakes division winner Funtime Bayama is the 8-5 morning line favourite from post two in the first split. The Richard Moreau trainee and driver Sylvain Filion teamed to win four of seven starts last year, earning nearly $250,000.
Storm Shadow, who captured last year’s OSS Super Final, will also compete in the first elimination for trainer Dr. Ian Moore and driver Bob McClure. The Bettors Delight colt, who notably was third in last year’s Breeders Crown after winning an elimination, will leave from post five in his season's debut.
Battle Of Waterloo winner Do Better will go from post six with driver James MacDonald. The Bob McIntosh trainee won his season's debut last Saturday in 1:51.3 after winning five of 11 and earning more than $220,000 last season.
The 9-5 morning line favourite in the second $25,000 elimination is Bob McIntosh trainee Always A Thrill. The Bettors Delight gelding is two-for-two to start the season, including a sharp 1:50.2 victory on April 20 at Mohawk Park. Bob McClure will drive the sophomore from post two.
The second split includes two-time OSS Gold winner Chain Gang. The Nick Gallucci trainee won three of eight starts and earned more than $150,000 last season. James MacDonald will steer the Bettors Delight colt from post five.
The SBOA Colt Pace eliminations are carded as Races 1 and 3 on Saturday.
The SBOA Colt Trot did not require eliminations. The field of nine for the final on May 11, in alphabetical order, consists of Convoy Hall, Elegant Resolve, Griff, Masstercraft, Mrstery Deal, Salem Seelster, Soar Higher, What About Elmo and Willowtime.
The purses for the SBOA Stakes finals on May 11 are as follows: $141,500 for the SBOA Filly Pace, $137,500 for the SBOA Filly Trot, $127,000 for the SBOA Colt Pace and $124,000 for the SBOA Colt Trot.
Saturday’s card will also feature three Canadian Graduate Series finals as part of a 12-race program.
Post time on Friday is 7:10 p.m., while Saturday’s start time is pushed back to 7:15 p.m. due to the Kentucky Derby.
To view entries and early program pages for the weekend cards, click on the following links:
Friday Entries // Friday Early Program Pages // Saturday Entries // Saturday Early Program Pages
The final program pages will be available on Wednesday and Thursday. Free past performance programs are available for all cards of live racing at woodbinemohawkpark.com.
(With files from Woodbine)