Favoured Perfectly Chic set a lifetime best of 1:50.4 while winning the $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series Leg 2 event for three-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday, June 21 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Chantilly, Canada’s 2024 Horse of the Year, and the winner of the Leg 1 Gold event on May 24 in 1:49.4, was scratched sick.
Perfectly Chic and Bob McClure led the field of seven to the quarter in :27.1, and then allowed Millie May Hanover (Doug McNair), followed by Wickedpace (Jody Jamieson), to control the front through fractions of :55 and 1:22.4. McClure pulled Perfectly Chic coming out of the final turn, and the filly powered past those two to a 2-1/2 length victory. Wickedpace was second, and Wicked N Single (Jonathan Drury) snuck up to be third. Millie May Hanover and Outtathisworld Deo (Trevor Henry) grabbed the final two cheques.
Perfectly Chic earned her first win of 2025 in seven outings with Saturday's effort. The daughter of Betterthancheddar-Fit N Bad was bred by Winbak Farm and purchased by her trainer John Pentland of Dorchester, Ont, Steve Mihalic of Oakville, Ont., and 2729346 Ontario Inc. of Rockwood, Ont. for $12,000 at the 2023 Harrisburg sale. It was also Perfectly Chic’s first Gold Series victory. The win improved her to 3-5-2 in 14 career outings. Her bankroll is now $129,361 this year and $266,166 lifetime.
With Chantilly’s scratch, Pentland told Woodbine broadcaster John Rallis he was “a lot more confident we had a shot to win. [Normally] you kind of concede to concede to Chantilly, but you know, it's a long season too. So, these horses are going to change throughout the year. This is an example right here where she had her turn in the spotlight and made the best of it.
“She had a couple of issues last year that sidelined her mid and late in the season, and she's trained back really well this year. She was just as good tonight as she ever has been.”
Mihalic said “I feel bad for Chantilly, but she'll be back another day. It was a competitive bunch tonight, and it’s just an honour to be standing here [in the winner’s circle].”
Ervin Hanover claimed the crown of Canada's top pacing ranks in the evening's sub-featured $36,000 Preferred Pace as he emerged victorious in a battle with Taurasi. Taurasi blasted off the wings for James MacDonald and paced a :27.1 opening panel with Ervin Hanover, the 4-5 favourite, sitting third. McNair removed Ervin Hanover from that spot at three-eighths, and the stallion commenced a backstretch brush which carried him to the front at the half in :55.
Ervin Hanover applied more speed heading into the final turn, and the leading pair began to separate from the rest at three-quarters in 1:21.3, creating a two-horse dash for the cash. Taurasi remained covered up into mid-stretch, when MacDonald tipped him out for a final surge, but he never threatened Ervin Hanover who was wrapped up at the line as he sealed a 1:48 victory. Taurasi was a half-length short. Century Komodo (McClure), eight lengths adrift of the winner, grabbed the show cheque.
Ervin Hanover, who was placed first in the Camluck Classic on May 30, improved his record to two-for-four on the year and upped his seasonal earnings to $105,320. He stormed onto the Mohawk scene at the end of 2024, dominating three straight Preferreds before going on hiatus. The five-year-old Captaintreacherous-Eloquent Grace horse has amassed 18 wins in 62 lifetime outings and $619,748 in earnings. Dave Menary trains him for Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa.
Fifth And Five, a 2024 OSS Gold Super Finalist, impressed in his Grassroots debut on the card as he won the third and final $25,000 division for three-year-old pacing males. He ranged forward to lead into the first turn for Jody Jamieson and cut a :27.3 first panel before allowing Sos Sports Bet (McNair) to grab the front en route to a :56 half. The latter led to three-quarters in 1:23.3 and into deep-stretch, but Fifth And Five grinded him down with a strong final quarter to score in 1:50.3 by 1-1/2 lengths. Sos Sports Bet was second-best with Grin And Win (Travis Cullen) three further lengths back in third.
Fifth And Five, now four-for-15 lifetime with $212,077 in career earnings, dropped down from the Gold ranks in Saturday's win. He won a leg of the top level at two and finished third in the first round of that series this year on May 24. The son of Bettors Delight-Filou Fly Fast has won two of six in 2025 for trainer Carl Jamieson, who shares ownership with 1140545 Ontario Ltd of Guelph, Ont. and Trevor Edwards of Kirkton, Ont.
That win made it a double for Jody and Carl Jamieson in the Grassroots, who also took the first split with Out Of Ice. The Hes Watching-Warrawee Star gelding led early, was pocketed by Silverwalls (Tyler Borth), then re-emerged coming down the stretch to hunt him down and win by a half-length in 1:50.4. Silverwalls was second, followed by Bruno No No No (McClure).
Carl Jamieson co-owns Out Of Ice, who is now two-for-two in the Grassroots, with George Harrison, the Estate of Brian Paquet, and 1140545 Ontario Ltd.
Readyforprimetime prevailed by a head in a hard-fought second division. The colt reached the top as the field entered the final turn, turned away a first-over challenger, and then battled back after being passed in deep-stretch to score in 1:52.1 over Hp Bellissimo (Henry). Betterdealmein (Cullen) was third.
Readyforprimetime debuted earlier this season and is three-for-five under the guidance of trainer Andrew Harris, who co-owns him with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
There were also four first-leg divisions of the Pop-Up Series on the card for pacing males that have not won $30,000 in a minimum of 10 starts in 2025 with starters for a purse of $12,000 or less last out also eligible. No favourite won, with Elliot Moose ($43.40), Control The Power ($18.30), Seriously Hanover ($13.40), and Docsphillycheese ($17.20) taking the dashes.
Trainer Jodie Cullen tripled on the card. She harnessed two Pop-Up Series winners - Elliot Moose and Control The Power - and scored with Codename Cigar Box in the opener. All three were in combination with her son, driver Travis Cullen.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada & Ontario Racing)