Atlas Ross improved to a perfect four-for-four while winning the lone $150,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold third-leg event for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Sunday, Aug. 16 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Atlas Ross, recording his third career OSS victory and second straight in the Gold series, was the feature winner among five for driver Doug McNair and three for trainer Gregg McNair.
Sent off as the even-money favourite in the field of nine, Doug McNair settled Atlas Ross fourth in the early going from the rail post position, as Kerplunk (Tyler Borth) led the field to the :27.3 opening quarter. Moments later, Yes I Am Hanover (Bob McClure) took over the front, but Atlas Ross was also in pursuit and briefly took the lead before relenting the front to second choice Gogo Gadget (Jonathan Drury) nearing the :55.4 half. Gogo Gadget was still in charge at the 1:23.4 three-quarter pole, but both Big D Energy (Mark MacDonald) and Atlas Ross were closing. In the stretch, McNair sent Atlas Ross up the inside and, once clear of both Gogo Gadget and Big D Energy, Atlas Ross pulled away with authority to win by 1-3/4 lengths in a career-best 1:51.2. Yes I Am Hanover was a closing second, with Big D Energy third.
“I wasn’t sure what was pacing on the inside, but once he shot through, he kind of exploded,” Doug McNair told Woodbine broadcaster John Rallis. “He’s a really fast colt.”
Atlas Ross, a son of Big Jim out of Kisskissbangbang, has now earned $142,550 for James and Elizabeth Ross of Wingham, Ont., who purchased the colt for $25,000 at the 2025 London Classic Yearling Sale. Atlas Ross, bred by Ashley and Dean Wilson of Kerwood, Ont., started his career with an overnight win, then won an OSS Grassroots contest impressively before stepping up to the Golds. He paid $4.10 in Sunday's victory.
“[Atlas Ross is] just sweetheart,” Doug McNair said. “He wants to do it from either way. He loves being on the helmet, or he goes on the front. He's a really classy horse.”
The father-son duo of Gregg and Doug McNair combined for a victory with Aceandaten ($9.70) in the first of three $30,000 OSS Grassroots splits for freshman pacing fillies. The Cattlewash-Dreamin Girl filly brushed to the lead down the back and grew her advantage to 4-1/2 lengths through the stretch to score a maiden victory in 1:52.
Team McNair also won with the classy trotting stallion Osceola ($3.10), who dropped into high-level conditioned competition and prevailed in 1:51.2 to complete the training triple for Gregg McNair. The seven-time Johnston Cup-winning conditioner as the top trainer in the OSS leads the series standings this season and has 78 wins overall in 479 starts.
Doug McNair also brought Charmbo Stormy ($5.10) to the winner's circle and drove Grin And Win ($5) to a 1:50.4 victory in the $30,000 Pop-Up Series final. After the five-win night, he is 176-for-832 cumulatively this year and second on the OSS driving leaderboard.
Lyons Bulldog ($3.50) captured the second Grassroots dash, holding on by a head after a pacesetting journey in 1:51.2. Mark MacDonald steered the Bulldog Hanover-Ava Hanover filly for trainer Dr. Ian Moore.
Bob McClure drove Diamondsbestfriend ($6.60) to a convincing tally in the third flight of Grassroots for trainer Jack Darling. The winning daughter of Bulldog Hanover-Yellow Diamond put up 1:51.4 on the timer in a 1-1/2-length triumph.
The $22,000 Pop-Up Series consolation went to Convoy Twenty Two ($14.80) in 1:50.4. The series was for male pacers who had started for a purse of $10,000 or less in their prior three starts or had not averaged $1,450 per start in a minimum of 10 starts in 2026. Winners over $40,000 this year were ineligible.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(With files from Ontario Racing)