The best two-year-old trotters in the Ontario Sires Stakes program flocked to Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday, July 25 for a total of five OSS Gold divisions, with two repeat winners and three fresh faces showing up and showing off during the 10-race program.
Medley Seelster was the first leader and the last leader in the first $95,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold division for two-year-old trotting fillies.
Driver Jody Jamieson asked Medley Seelster to push forward from post five, and that duo hit the top heading into the first turn while Lil Sweet (Doug McNair) forged on from post four to clear through a :27.2 opening quarter. Favoured TH Monica (James MacDonald) exited the four hole heading down the backside and cleared Medley Seelster as the half flashed up in :57.1.
Baden Baden (Tyler Jones) had first call up on the rim to challenge the favourite and pressured that rival through a 1:26.3 third station and into the lane. Jamieson, sitting second along the rail, found a seam at the head of the stretch to shift two lanes out and create a three-horse drive to the wire. Baden Baden and TH Monica matched strides, but Medley Seelster had the best closing step and found the wire first in 1:55.3. Baden Baden edged out TH Monica for the deuce.
Medley Seelster (Wheeling N Dealin - Daylon Melody) is owned by Glenn Dyke of Townsend, De. She's now two-for-five in her career with $71,010 in the bank after this win, a lifetime best where she returned $14.70 on a $2 win wager. Certainly not the longest shot on the board, trainer Blake MacIntosh didn't have the confidence of her pari-mutuel supporters.
"She warmed up like crap," bluntly MacIntosh after the win. "She paced like three times we had to go two miles with her. Let's be honest, I thought she was going to be up at the track and pace all the way but she was good.
"When she gets jammed up she always just switches over the pace on us and Jody did a great job and you know, his hands are great."
Those great hands of both driver and trainer swept the OSS Gold events for the rookie trotting fillies on Thursday, as favoured Monalishi ($3.20; pictured above) delivered on her pari-mutuel promise.
Jamieson once again positioned the MacIntosh pupil forwardly in this division, and Monalishi made that lead through a :28.3 opening quarter. The tempo slowed through the middle stanza with fractions of :59.2 and 1:28.4 as Foxy Amee (Paul MacDonell) amped up the pressure on the outside through that final panel.
Trotting for home, Monalishi and Foxy Amee stormed down the lane as a tandem with MacDonell's filly inching closer. If the photo finish was a painting, Monalishi would be smirking slyly as she held on by a head to defeat Foxy Amee with the mile timed in 1:56.4. Incantation (Sylvain Filion) completed the top trio.
That's now two wins in two Gold appearances for Monalishi (Green Manalishi S - Pretty Phylly G), trained and co-owned by MacIntosh along with Tim Klemencic of Trenton, Ont. Her bankroll is now at an even $95,000.
"She was a completely different filly tonight, racing really relaxed," noted driver Jamieson. "She's been a little bit warm, but always professional, and tonight she just kind of went around and did what she had to do but nothing more.
"She give us a little scare in the stretch there with Paul's filly, but she saw her, and she dug in and beat her."
Allowing the ladies to go first, there were also three second leg $63,334 OSS Gold divisions for the two-year-old trotting colts & geldings with the stakes events following an odd number pattern through Thursday's card.
You Got It Kemp ($6.20) didn't appear to have what was needed at the head of the stretch, but the rookie trotter got the job done for his first career victory.
What he needed was room. And after sitting the pocket behind Call Me Parker (MacDonald) through fractions of :28.2, :58.3 and 1:27.4, Sylvain Filion didn't have room for his trotter with Mr Pasadena (Tyler Jones) approaching first up and Call Me Parker just a length in front. But when Mr Pasadena blew up and broke stride just after straightening for home, Filion found the seam he needed and angled You Got It Kemp. And get it he did, by three parts of a length over Call Me Parker in 1:56.2. Shutter Green (Bob McClure) completed the top trio.
"From the word go he's always been able to just turn speed real fast, and Sylvain teaches him a lot," stated trainer and co-owner Dan Lagace. "He's been good the whole time. Professional, and showed some speed."
Lagace shares ownership in the Muscle Mass - Speed Titan gelding with Brady & Brooke Lagace and co-breeder Suojalampi Stable Inc. of Delray Beach, Fl.
Galen Erso ($3.30) is the only repeat Gold winner in this division after a confident win in the second split on Thursday night.
Driver Doug McNair settled the public choice into third as Wearing The Green (Jamieson) and Day (Louis-Philippe Roy) took turns on the early lead heading into the first turn. Once Day settled through a :28.2 opening panel, McNair angled Galen Erso from third and moved the front. Clearing before a :58.1 half and handling his business assuredly on top with a 1:27.2 third quarter, Galen Erso sped home in :28.3 for the lifetime best 1:56 score. Rising Interest (Tyler Borth) flew home from the back of the pack to get up for second in a four-way photo, besting Wearing The Green (Jamieson) and Whitty Wheels (Trevor Henry).
"He's a pretty nice trotter," stated his driver. "Louis kind of took a little shot at him and I wasn't sure how he's going to respond but he kicked home good.
"He was a little more aggressive tonight. I mean, behind the gate I couldn't even get my whip turned over. He just kind of relaxed once I got past the half and once it was time to start him back up again, he just clicked into gear."
Gregg McNair handles the conditioning on two-time winner Galen Erso (Green Manalishi S - Wygant Princess) for breeder-owner Marcus Melander of New Egypt, N.J.
Sound N Vision ($14.70) pounced off a second-over tow into the stretch with a strong stretch rally to prevail in the third and final OSS Gold division for the two-year-old male trotters.
Bob McClure settled the son of Royalty For Life - Tommi My Girl away in midpack as Captain Suzuki (McNair), Chicago Hall (MacDonald) and favoured Artful Dodger (Filion) took turns on the lead through the first half. Artful Dodger faced a challenge from Lookatmegoamigo (Roy) around the far turn, but still had the advantage of a sensible 1:29.2 third quarter tempo in his favour.
McClure was poised with Sound N Vision on Roy's helmet, and when shown racetrack Sound N Vision showed serious speed. Trotting home with a :27.2 final quarter, Sound N Vision soared to a new mark of 1:57.3 with the 1-1/2 length victory. Lookatmegoamigo was next best with a locked-in Chicago Hall finding room up the rail late to save show.
"I think he surprised everybody — trainer and driver included — with how good he was his first start in the Gold," said McClure of his fifth-place finish on debut. "Like you say, he's a small little horse but, man, he tries so hard and he's perfect gaited, nice to drive and handy as a shirt pocket so he's going to make some money no matter what."
Sound N Vision is trained by Mark Etsell, and he co-owns the colt with Terry Devos of Langton, Peter Porter of Port Dover and Denise Turner of Georgetown, Ont.
For the results from Thursday's card of harness racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park, click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)