The Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) 50th Anniversary Celebration tour heads to The Raceway at Western Fair District on Friday, May 31 with four $20,000 Grassroots Series divisions for three-year-old pacing colts featured on the Camluck Classic undercard.
The Grassroots races are slated for Races 3, 4, 11 and 12, while the $150,000 Camluck Classic Invitational Pace is scheduled for Race 10 on the 12-race card.
Race 3 features the 2023 Grassroots two-year-old pacing colt point leader, D A Mcdreamy, and last year’s two-year-old pacing colt Grassroots Final winner, Enforcer.
D A Mcdreamy has draw post seven and will be driven by James MacDonald for trainer Shawn Steacy. Bred by Ashley Wilson and Dean Wilson of Kerwood, Ont., the McWicked-Sports Beayty colt is owned by Katherine Steacy and Landmark 16 Racing Stable of Lansdowne, Ont., Theodore Davis of Ohsweken, Ont. and Angela Haskell of Guelph, Ont.
Enforcer is trained by Gregg McNair and will have Tyler Borth in the bike from post two. Bred by Seelster Farms of Lucan, Ont., the Big Jim-Rough N Ready colt races for the ownership group of Aaron Waxman from Carlisle, Ont., Alan Alber of Thornhill, Ont. and David Jarvis of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Another horse to watch in the Race 3 division is post five starter Vis A Vis Bluechip, a Bettors Delight-Sunnynseventyfive gelding bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock of Wallkill, New York. Vis A Vis Bluechip is trained and driven by Paul Davies, who also co-owns with his wife Nicole.
Vis A Vis Bluechip is coming off back-to-back wins at The Raceway, both times with Davies driving. The level of competition he will be facing on Friday will be steeper with D A Mcdreamy and Enforcer in the stakes field, but Davies believes his horse has an advantage with track familiarity.
“I know [Vis A Vis Bluechip] can get around the track,” said Davies. “I don’t know if [D A Mcdreamy and Enforcer] have ever been there before, so anything can happen. It’s a pretty tight half-mile track and some horses don’t adjust to it as well as others.”
As part of the OSS 50th Anniversary Celebration, fans coming out to enjoy the races will also be able to view photos and memorabilia from seasons past along with giveaways, activity books for the young ones and a timeline illustrating the 50-year history of the OSS.
In advance of the Anniversary Celebration, noted Canadian harness racing writer and historian Robert Smith compiled a brief history of The Raceway at Western Fair District.
Post time for the first race of the evening Friday at The Raceway is 5:50 p.m. Click here for a program with information on entries and wagering advice. If you are unable to attend in person, visit The Raceway website for streaming information. Wagers can be placed via HPIBet.
(With files from Ontario Racing; Photo of Vis A Vis Bluechip winning last year at Woodbine Mohawk Park)