Last seen on Canadian soil on Pepsi North America Cup night five weeks ago, Nijinsky and Its A Love Thing once again made headlines with their efforts on Saturday, July 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Nijinsky — the 2024 Pepsi North America Cup champ — and Its A Love Thing — the 2024 Fan Hanover victress — became harness racing's newest millionaires by virtue of their respective tallies in the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Mid-Season Finals.
In the Mid-Season Final for three-year-old pacing fillies, Its A Love Thing landed midpack early for driver James MacDonald as Lightning Lizzie (Brett MacDonald), Coco Jo Jo (Tyler Borth) and Greatest Pleasure (Louis-Philippe Roy) took turns on the leads through a spicy :26.2 opening quarter and :53.2 half.
With Greatest Pleasure on top, Odds On Platinum (Sylvain Filion) started a challenge up on the rim from fourth. MacDonald followed that move with Its A Love Thing, towing the favourite into second over striking range. After the field hit the third station in 1:21.4 and straightened for home, MacDonald angled Its A Love Thing into the three path and she responded with ample pace under a hard drive. The mile was timed in 1:49.2, with stablemate Pass Line (Doug McNair) closing to be a good second and Odds On Platinum at the bottom of the triactor.
"I was just ecstatic," said MacDonald after the victory. "I mentioned to Dave before, I said 'we're probably gonna have to rough at first up again, you know, everyone's gonna be looking for her' and just that's the thing... you put some money on the line, you just never know how the race is gonna go.
"Fortunately it worked out terrific today and we didn't have to, you know, go right to the well with her because it's a long year."
Paying $2.20 to win, Its A Love Thing (Bettors Delight - Love For Sail) lifted her bankroll to $1,068,974 with the victory, her 11th in 19 career appearances. Dave Menary trains for Eric Good of Davidsonville, Md., Thomas Biederman of Lexington and Josh Green of Midway, Ky., and Rich Lombardo Racing LLC of Solon, Oh.
"She just keeps proving it week in and week out," added Menary. "Hopefully we can keep the ball rolling. You know, it's a long time until the end of the year but right now I'm pretty proud of the way things are going."
With dual eligibility, Menary indicated that Its A Love Thing might be pointed for Kentucky Sires Stakes action at The Red Mile.
Nijinsky joined the millionaire's club two races later, winning the OSS Mid-Season Final for three-year-old male pacers with a mile that appeared to be as close to a walk in the park as his connections and backers could hope.
Driver Louis-Philippe Roy didn't want to get pinned down to the rail, and maintained his two-path position around the opening turn as Storm Shadow (Bob McClure) hit the first quarter beam in :26.4. Roy asked Nijinsky to forge on as the field straightened up down the backside, and the colt cleared to the top before a tepid :55.1 half.
There was nary an anxious moment from there for Nijinsky, passing the third station in 1:23.3 all by himself. Storn Shadow took a shot in the lane, but he missed and Nijinsky cruised to an effortless 1:50.2 tally. Storn Shadow finished 1-1/4 lengths in arrears, with Crush Kill Destroy (McNair) completing the top trio.
"By the half there I was already really confident," stated Roy in the winner's circle of the $2.10 returning winner. "On paper, I feel like there's a gap between him, maybe Storm Shadow and then the other horses, and that's pretty much what happened on the track."
Nijinsky (Bettors Delight - Pirouette Hanover) is trained by Anthony Beaton for West Wins Stable of Wellington, FL, John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont. and Mark Dumain of Pine Bush, N.Y. The colt's bankroll now stands at $1,044,082 lifetime, with Beaton indicating this start on home soil was by design.
"That was kind of our intention, get him back home out of that heat in New Jersey and hopefully have an easier start for him here. None of them are easy but it's a little easier what he's been up against the last few weeks."
There are options for Nijinsky's next start, with Beaton indicating that the Cane Pace and the Milstein Memorial as possible destinations.
For the full results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Campbellville, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)