The fifth leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series was contested on Monday (Sept. 11) for two-year-old pacing fillies and three-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Tribal Dancer led the action with a 1:52.2 victory in the $22,200 division for the young ladies.
James MacDonald and the Melissa Lamoureux trainee were early out of the gate from post eight and posted the opening panel in :27. Cheese Party (Trevor Henry) assumed control at the :56 half and maintained her lead through the three-quarters in 1:24.3. How Much (Tyler Borth) moved from third into the front in the final turn and met the challenge of Tribal Dancer. Down the stretch, Tribal Dancer earned the upper hand and kept going to win by 1-1/2 lengths. How Much was second and Pasta Delight (Doug McNair) finished third.
A winner of two races from seven starts, Tribal Dancer (Sunshine Beach-That Day) won in a new mark. Owned by 1187422 Ontario Inc., the freshman filly moved her career bankroll to $38,070. She paid $7.30 to win.
Resilience rallied from the back of the pack to win her $22,600 OSS class.
Louis-Philippe Roy and Resilience got away sixth through the opening panel in :28. The filly pulled from the pylons, but remained in sixth as the half was clicked in :58 by pacesetting Wickedwoman De Vie (MacDonald). She did not make up any additional ground and sat seventh through the three-quarters in 1:26. Resilience used up every piece of track as the distance narrowed between herself and the victory. She paced down the lane to a one-length achievement in 1:53 off a :25.4 last quarter. Make Out With Me (Borth) was second. Wickedwoman De Vie completed the ticket.
A daughter of Jimmy Freight and the Camluck mare Mia Seelster, Resilience owns three wins from five starts and boasts $100,616 in earnings. Trained by Eric Nadeau, the filly is owned by Louis-Philippe Roy, Ecurie Francis Richard Inc., Ecurie Csl and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. She paid $2.90 to win.
Bonitas Best Bet took the final OSS split for the fillies, worth $22,600, in 1:54.1.
From post eight, the David Menary student and McNair landed in third as Pretty Missy May (Sylvain Filion) set the tempo with a :27.1 opening panel. Bonitas Best Bet did not settle for long and hopped off the pylons to take control of the field. She led through fractions in :56.4 and 1:26 and continued in the lead through the final turn. T H Jackies Legacy (Travis Cullen) sprinted in the stretch, but Bonitas Best Bet prevailed by a neck. Quite Beachy (Jonathan Drury) rounded out the top three.
Bonitas Best Bet (All Bets Off-Bonita Beach) is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Frank Baldachino, Weaver Bruscemi, Jandt Silva and Purnel And Libby. With $54,454 earned, the filly moved her record to 4-3-0 in eight starts. She paid $8.10 to win.
Like Chaos and Trevor Henry won one of two OSS Grassroots divisions for colts and geldings, adding the winner's share of the $23,000 purse to his bankroll.
Henry and Like Chaos sat third through the quarter in :27 and half in :56.3 while Darbyshire (MacDonald) led the charge. A first-over The Great Emotion (Paul MacDonell) pushed Like Chaos back to fourth at the three-quarters in 1:25, but that bid stalled and Like Chaos continued in third into the final turn. Deadline Hall (Chris Christoforou) threw his name in the mix in the stretch, pulling from the pocket. A race in the lane developed amid the three trotters, but Like Chaos crossed the wire three-quarters of a length the best in 1:53.4, a new mark for the gelding. Deadline Hall was second and Darbyshire ended in third.
Trainer Bruce Richardson owns the Lookslikeachpndale gelding with Joseph Coffey. Like Chaos pushed his career sum to $100,026 with $91,486 earned this season from eight wins in 19 starts. He paid $16.40 to win.
New Rules won the final $23,000 OSS Grassroots division of the evening with Austin Sorrie in the bike for Marcel Barrieau.
Sorrie and the sophomore Lookslikeachpndale gelding got away third in their field of 10 while Resolve To Win (Scott Young) led to the quarter in :27.3. New Rules made a quick sweep and took command of the field and the timer. He set two panels in :56 and 1:25.1 before continuing on to win by a length in a career-best 1:53. Resolve To Win was second and Cassius Hanover (Borth) rounded out the triactor.
Barrieau co-owns New Rules with Gestion Mastel Inc. He won his fourth race of the season and sixth career tally while increasing his seasonal sum to $92,125 and career bankroll to a total of $125,833. He paid $6.70 to win.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.