In a star-studded affair, Osceola took full advantage of the perfect pocket trip given by driver Doug McNair to score in the $60,000 Open Trot, which served as the Monday, Sept. 1 feature at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Tabbed as the 8-5 second choice in the wagering, Osceola left alertly from post five before being covered up by the 6-5 favourite, Amigo Volo (James MacDonald), through a fast opening clip of :26.4. Amigo Volo went unchallenged to the half in :55.3 before Osceola was flushed from the pocket by Safe Conduct (Chris Christoforou) midway around the final turn. Osceola moved to the leader's wheel as Amigo Volo brought the field of seven to three-quarters in 1:24.1.
Osceola surged alongside Amigo Volo in the lane, with the two battling noses apart while Drawn Impression (Louis-Philippe Roy) began to stage a late rally widest of all. Late in the lane, Osceola's first-over bid finally began to wear down Amigo Volo, with Osceola getting the better of his foe by three parts of a length in 1:51.3. Drawn Impression rallied home in :26.3 for third, 1-1/4 lengths back of the winner.
Trained by Gregg McNair, Osceola has now won five of 15 starts in his five-year-old campaign. The stallion son of Muscle Mass-Armbro Exquisite is a 15-time winner for his career, having banked just shy of $750,000 lifetime for Gregg McNair and his partners Willow Oak Racing of Rogersville, Tennessee and Paul Hawman of Collingwood, Ont.
While the Open served as the kick-off leg of the Late Double, the second leg was a $35,000 Pop-Up Series final for trotters who were non-winners of $25,000 in 2025 with a minimum of at least 12 starts.
Pierre Bovay trainee Emma Town Bud and driver Louis-Philippe Roy converted a pocket trip into a 1:52.4 victory as the even-money favourite over Dahlquist Hanover (Travis Cullen) and My Buddy Sam (Scott Young).
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)