Sprite Seelster led gate-to-wire and set a lifetime best of 1:52.4 while posting a 15-1 upset in the lone $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Series division for three-year-old trotting fillies on Monday, May 26 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
She was driven to victory by her co-owner, Tyler Borth of Ingersoll, Ont., who shares her papers with Paul Gangle's Elite Equine LLC of St. Thomas, Ont.
Borth steered Sprite Seelster to the front out of post nine and didn't look back through fractions of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:24.1 to defeat a fast-closing Roxie Hart (Travis Cullen) by 1-1/2 lengths. Bright Green (Louis-Philippe Roy) was third. O'Brien Award-winning Monalishi (James MacDonald) was sent off as the 4-5 favourite and finished fifth in the field of nine, just ahead of 2-1 second choice Green Glider (Trevor Henry).
"I wasn't really happy with the nine-hole," Borth said to Woodbine Mohawk Park's Randy Waples. "I was thinking before the race, 'There are going to be a lot of leavers. It's a long year, maybe I would be smart to just race from the back.' But I thought she raced really well last week.
"She has never really been used that hard. She was still pretty strong on the end of [the mile]. And even after the mile, when all the other horses seemed tired, she kept going like she can always go another half lap. She's just a big, strong horse."
Sprite Seelster, who is trained by Katie MacNeil, is now 2-1-1 in four starts in 2025. She has 10 career starts with a record of 3-2-2. The triumph was the first lifetime Gold victory for the daughter of Green Manalishi S out of Speak Of The Devil. She was bred by Seelster Farms and was sold for $40,000 at the 2023 London Classic Yearling Sale.
The mile shaved three full seconds off Sprite Seelster's personal best and the $70,000 payday nearly doubled her lifetime earnings to $149,978.
"She just does everything," said Borth. "She eats everything and she comes out a race well all the time. She holds her weight well. She's big, she's strong and I think she's going to stay good all year."
Also on the Monday evening card at Mohawk were three $25,000 OSS Grassroots Series divisions for sophomore trotting fillies.
Ivy Lynn (Green Manalishi S-Marion Mayflower) won in a career best 1:54.4 for breeders Stonegate Farms and Glen Gardner of New Jersey, owner Jean Mondoux of Laval, Que., trainer Jean Tourigny and driver J.R. Plante. The filly was purchased for $25,000 USD at the 2023 Standardbred Horse Sales Company yearling sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Incantation (Muscle Mass-More Magic) also won in 1:54.4 for breeders Robert McIntosh Stables of Windsor, Ont. and Dave Boyle of Bowmanville, Ont., owners Mardon Stables of Loretto, Ont. and Tyrone Valley Farm of Bowmanville, trainer Jeff Williams and driver Jody Jamieson.
Tellers Choice (The Bank-Tosca) completed the Grassroots action with a win in 1:55 for breeder Winbak Farm, owner Determination of Montreal, Que., trainer Luc Blais and driver Louis-Philippe Roy. Tellers Choice was purchased for $100,000 USD at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Ontario Sires Stakes action at Mohawk continues on Thursday, May 29 with the Gold Series for three-year-old colt trotters followed by the Gold Series for three-year-old filly trotters on Friday, June 20 and Gold Series for three-year-old filly pacers on Saturday, June 21. On Friday, May 30, the Grassroots Series for three-year-old colt pacers will take place at The Raceway at Western Fair District followed by the Grassroots for three-year-old pacing fillies on Monday, June 16 and three-year-old pacing colts on Saturday, June 21, each at Mohawk.
On the Mohawk Monday undercard, Nasey ($17) posted a mild upset in the $28,000 Preferred 2 Trot with Travis Cullen in the bike for Jodie Cullen. Maintaining pylon position from start to finish, the Pilgrims Chuckie-Youre So Fine gelding waited until the final strides to pass the leading Ghostly Casper (Tyler Borth) and win by a head in 1:52. Spartan General (Chris Christoforou) was third.
Nasey is owned by A1stable of Dundas, Ont. He won his fourth race of the year and 30th career race, now boasting $378,311 in career earnings.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada with files from Ontario Racing)