O'Brien Award finalist Twin B Thong earned the first victory of her sophomore season in the opening leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots Series for three-year-old pacing fillies on Friday night (June 17) at Mohawk Racetrack.
Driven by Jonathan Drury of Guelph, Ont., 2-1 favourite Twin B Thong rallied home off cover in her $18,000 division and defeated Twenty Three Red, who had forged four-wide into the first turn and led the field through fractions of :26.1, :55.1 and 1:23.3. Twin B Thong kicked home in :28.3 to win by two and three-quarter lengths in 1:52.3. Bad Lightning rounded out the top three finishers.
The win was the first in three starts this year for Twin B Thong, who was a three-time Gold Series winner in 2015 and the Super Final runner-up to divisional champion L A Delight. Twin B Thong now has earnings of $252,944.
“She trained back huge, but had a bunch of issues when she shipped home,” said trainer Casie Coleman. “We took some time off and got her back to herself tonight, finally.
“She’ll most likely go back to the Golds now, if she stays good."
Coleman trains and co-owns the Sportswriter-Beach Bound filly with West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Ont., Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont., and Steve Calhoun of Chatham, Ont. The same connections will be vying for a million-dollar victory in Saturday night's featured Pepsi North America Cup with OSS star Betting Line, who is the race's morning line favourite.
After winning a pair of Grassroots divisions at Mohawk on Thursday evening, driver Jody Jamieson topped that accomplishment by capturing three more divisions on Friday.
The Moffat, Ont. resident started his win streak with lightly raced Forever Liza, guiding the filly to her first-ever OSS victory in a personal-best 1:52.3. The Bettors Delight daughter drifted out widely in the stretch, but still hit the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Selling The Dream and Kays Shadow.
“She has just been getting better and better with every start. Tonight, she smelled the ribs and was going after them in the stretch, but she got to the wire first in spite of that,” quipped Jamieson, referring to the racks of ribs that were flying off the barbecue just beyond the rail the filly drifted toward.
Jamieson crafted the win for trainer Mark Steacy of Lansdowne, Ont., and owner Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que. The filly — who has three full-siblings with $200,000-plus in earnings — now boasts a record of two wins and one second in five sophomore starts.
Jamieson’s second appearance in the winner’s circle came aboard “family horse” Noone To Depend On. Owned by his father, trainer Carl Jamieson of Rockwood, Ont., and sister, Brandy Jamieson of Milton, Ont, Noone To Depend On controlled the pace from start to finish, reaching the wire in a personal-best 1:52.2. The fan favourite finished four and three-quarter lengths ahead of Miss Babe Delight and Windsongmagnifique.
“She really impressed me tonight. Usually she can’t cut the mile, but she just exploded tonight when I called on her and won very easily,” said the filly's driver “She should be one of the best Grassrooters.”
Noone To Depend On captured one Grassroots division last season and boasts a record of two wins and two seconds in eight sophomore starts to date. The Santanna Blue Chip miss boosted her lifetime earnings to $77,230 with Friday’s win.
Jamieson completed the driving hat trick with fan favourite Thisorthat Hanover, who also cruised to a four and three-quarter length win in 1:52.2. HP Sissy and Tempus Seelster rounded out the top three.
“Thisorthat can flat out fly,” said Jamieson. “She has had issues in the past, but Doc [Moore] seems to have her on the straight and narrow. She’ll likely go to the Gold now, and if she stays in this current form, she’ll be heard from.”
A Gold Series winner at two, Thisorthat Hanover is trained by Dr. Ian Moore of Guelph for owner Scott Horner of Toronto. The Sportswriter daughter was a $110,000 purchase from the 2014 Harrisburg Yearling Sale and Friday’s victory pushed her career earnings just over her initial purchase price, to $111,900.
Windsong Glory and Bourbon Seelster were the fastest fillies of the night with career-best performances clocked in 1:52 flat in their respective Grassroots divisions.
Windsun Glory and driver Doug McNair slipped out of the pocket in the stretch and sprinted home to a two and three-quarter length victory. Mattjestic Tempo and Heavenly Bet paced into second and third. A Guelph resident, McNair piloted the Mach Three daughter to her first-ever OSS victory for trainer Murray Brethour of Sunderland, Ont., Windsun Farm Inc. of Uxbridge, Ont., Kevin McKinlay of Holland Landing, Ont., and Jim Fielding of Toronto.
Bourbon Seelster added a sophomore Grassroots trophy to the three she earned last season. Driver Mike Saftic of Campbellville, Ont. engineered the victory over Jimmys Little Girl and Maxim Seelster on behalf of trainer Robert Manders and his partners, Scott and Keith Manders of Watford, Ont.
The other trophy went home with Sports Expert, who was also a three-time Grassroots winner last season. In rein to Billy Davis Jr. of Guelph, the Sportswriter daughter paced under the wire one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Buttermilk Hanover and Alphabet Queen in a personal-best 1:52.2. Blake MacIntosh of Cambridge conditions Sports Expert for his partners Touch Stone Farms of Guelph and 30 Plus Stable of Trenton, Ont.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from OSS)