Ontario Sires Stakes mania will be in full effect Saturday evening at Mohawk Racetrack as the Campbellville, Ontario oval prepares to host this year’s OSS Grassroots Finals.
Two-year-old trotting fillies will be up first as they take to the track in Race 2, and the $50,000 in prize money could go to any of the ten fillies in the field. The wide-open tilt will feature Semi-Final winners Railee Priti and Wing Flash, but by no means are they standouts.
Railee Priti delivered a 26-1 upset winning her Semi-Final in 1:58.4 for trainer John Bax and driver Steve Byron, and they’ll look for lightning to strike again with the homebred daughter of Muscle Muss who starts from Post 5 in her Saturday evening assignment.
Wing Flash, a 1:58.2 winner in her Semi-Final one week ago, wasn’t as fortunate when the post positions were doled out. The daughter of Kadabra has drawn Post 10 for trainer/driver Wayne Henry. The filly has won three of her last four starts, and she’s certainly capable of keeping the ball rolling despite her poor starting spot.
Standing in the way of those fillies could be the consistent duo of Summers Jewel, who only missed the board once in her first eight starts for Team Baillargeon, and Bistrobistro Taj, who has hit the board in five of six this season for trainer/driver Rick Zeron. Those two will start from Posts 4 and 8, respectively.
Here’s an overview of the other finals in the order in which they’ll appear on Saturday’s stakes-filled program at Mohawk Racetrack:
Two-year-old pacing fillies - $50,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Race 3
Ms Mac N Cheese rolls into the rich event riding a four-race winning streak for trainer Richard Moreau and driver Sylvain Filion. The daughter of Badlands Hanover, who will start from Post 4, has manufactured a 6-for-8 record this season. She won her Semi-Final one week ago in 1:53.3.
The other Semi-Final went to Little Miss Artist in 1:56.2. That consistent daughter of Artistic Fella has worked her way into the top three in 6-of-8 this season for trainer Mike Weller.
Three-year-old pacing fillies - $50,000 OSS Grassroots Final – Race 4
Dana Dearest has finished no worse than second in her last four assignments, and that includes her 1:53.3 triumph in last week’s Semi-Final for trainer Casie Coleman and driver Chris Christoforou. The homebred daughter of Jeremes Jet, who is well known for her off-the-pace power, has drawn Post 4. She’s won eight of her 15 starts this season.
Her Own Land will likely be the speed in the race if history repeats itself. She captured her Semi-Final in front-stepping fashion one week ago in 1:54 for driver James MacDonald and trainer Dave Menary. The fleet-footed daughter of Blissfull Hall, who will aim for seventh win of the season, is slated to depart from Post 7.
Two-year-old trotting colts and geldings - $50,000 OSS Grassroots Final – Race 5
Trainer Paul Reid has power in numbers in this final thanks to the talented tandem of Snapshot Springs (Post 1) and Olympic Son (Post 3). They failed to win their respective Semi-Finals, but they won multiple Grassroots divisions earlier this year.
The same can be said for a number of other youngsters in the field. Call Me Richard (Post 4), El Diablo Hall (Post 5), Mandeville (Post 8) and Freddie (Post 9) also won multiple OSS events in 2014.
Three-year-old trotting fillies - $50,000 OSS Grassroots Final – Race 7
Mystical Wishes has been a dominant force in this division in 2014 for trainer Tony Alagna. The daughter of Muscle Mass totes a three-race winning streak into the final, and she gets to work from Post 5 for driver Doug McNair. The photogenic filly, who won last week’s Semi-Final in 1:56.4, has gone 8-for-13 this year.
Lenny Mac, the other Semi-Final winner, enters Saturday’s assignment riding a two-race winning streak for trainer Bob McIntosh. The Kadabra homebred, who will be paired up with driver Randy Waples, has drawn Post 2.
Two-year-old pacing colts and geldings - $50,000 OSS Grassroots Final – Race 8
Thinkofagameplan has faced the staring gate nine times in his career, and he has yet to finish off the board for trainer Bob McIntosh. The son of Ponder has won five times this season, and he’ll have to extra sharp to push that number to six due to the fact he’s drawn Post 9 in Saturday’s final. Randy Waples guided the homebred to a career-best score of 1:53.4 in last week’s Semi-Final.
McIntosh will also send out stablemate Big Moment from Post 2. Steve Condren will drive the Camluck colt who has only missed the board once in nine tries. The three-time winner has banked just shy of $40,000 this season.
Three-year-old trotting colts and geldings - $50,000 OSS Grassroots Final – Race 9
Warrawee Promesse will try to regroup for trainer/driver Wayne Henry following a fourth-place finish as a beaten favourite in his Semi-Final assignment. The gelding, who is 7-for-12 this year, has drawn Post 7 against the likes of Semi-Final winners, Jack Litten (Post 4) and Kremlin (Post 6).
Three-year-old pacing colts and geldings - $50,000 OSS Grassroots Final – Race 10
Fresh off their Semi-Final wins in upset fashion, High Flier (Post 3) and Nirvana Seelster (Post 4) have both drawn well in their quest to repeat.
High Flier left hard and re-rallied in the lane to post a 1:52.1 victory last week for trainer David Taff and driver J Harris. The son of Shadow Play, who is 5-for-11 this year, rides a two-race winning streak coming into the $50,000 tilt.
Nirvana Seelster rallied from tenth at the half to win his Semi-Final in 1:53.4 at odds of 51-1 for the tandem of driver Phil Hudon and trainer Bill Budd. The son of Camluck has won three times this year, and he’s managed to work his way into the top three in nine of his 19 starts in 2014.
Doors open at 5:30 on Saturday night with first race post time set for 7:25. As part of the 40th Anniversary of the Ontario Sires Stakes, Grassroots Finals Night will also feature:
- Music by the Emerson Street Rhythm Band
- Handicapping Contest with cash prizes (ballots must be in before the second race)
- OSS 40th Anniversary T-shirts with each program sold (while supplies last)
- $40 betting voucher draws before each OSS race
For those unable to make it Mohawk, the I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club will also conduct an online handicapping challenge for the OSS Grassroots Finals.
To view entries for Saturday's card of harness racing, click one of the following links:
Saturday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack -- Saturday Program Pages – Mohawk Racetrack