The year is quickly winding down for the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots program, and three-year-old pacing fillies were on the lookout for late-season points in the fourth leg Monday evening at Mohawk Racetrack.
Artful Impulse, who was ranked 26th in the division going into her assignment, picked up a crucial 50 points thanks to her 1:52.3 score in her $18,000 assignment. Randy Waples brushed his charge to the front in the backstretch, and after slicing out middle splits of :56.2 and 1:24.2 the Bob McIntosh pupil used a :28.1 closing quarter to win by a nose over Shellyssilvermoon. Third prize went to race favourite Bet Ya.
The homebred, who races for Robert McIntosh Stables Inc, Dwight Stacey and James Walker, improved her 2014 record to 3-2-4 from 16 starts with the win. The $9,000 payday bumped her overall bankroll to $94,385.
Dana Dearest used last second heroics to win her division in 1:52.1 for the tandem of driver Chris Christoforou and trainer Casie Coleman. The homebred watched Mea Lilley Mark and Regally Ready take turns on the lead through panels of :27.2, :56.4 and 1:24 before sweeping past the pair of them en route to the win. Runner-up Mea Lilley Mark came up a head short, with Double Joy taking home third prize.
It was the third OSS Grassroots triumph of the season from four tries for Dana Dearest, who ranks second in the point standings. Charalambos Christoforou of Campbellville, Ontario bred and owns the seven-time winner who now boasts career earnings in excess of $67,000.
Born To Dream was treated to a dreamy trip in the third division, and she didn’t let it go to waste. Doug McNair plugged his charge into the two-hole while Her Own Land and Badlyinclined battled through fractions of :27, :55 and 1:23.4. Badlyinclined backed away, and that gave McNair more than enough room to angle out of the pocket and pull away to the win by a length over Her Own Land in 1:51.4. Shadows Wonder rallied to finish third.
Tony O’Sullivan trains the homebred daughter of Camluck-Happy Dream for Lomangino Standardbreds of Tinton Falls, New Jersey. She sat 10th in the OSS standings at the start of the night, but quickly rocketed her way up the charts with the win. It was her third tally of the season, and her share of the loot lifted her cash stash to $49,726.
Regil Meg rallied for a 1:53 score in the final OSS Grassroots division, and in doing so produced her best effort of the season in the provincial program. After finishing third and fifth in her first two tries against OSS foes this year, the Carmen Auciello trainee posted the win by three-quarters of a length over Exhilarated. Champagne Shower came on strong to grab the show dough.
Anthony MacDonald mapped out the winning trip for the daughter of Artistic Fella-Theoras Path, who is owned by Denarben Stables of Thornhill and Rocco Auciello of Stouffville, Ontario. It was the second win of the season for the career winner of $101,988.
The next leg of the OSS Grassroots for the three-year-old pacing fillies is scheduled for September 10 at Grand River Raceway.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.