Woodbine Mohawk Park is set to host the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Finals on Saturday, Sept. 28 with eight races slated on the 12-race program and more than $600,000 in purses to distribute.
Horses must have started in a minimum of two Grassroots Series legs to be eligible for their respective consolation or final. Complete point standings can be found on the "Leaderboard" page of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) website.
Here's a preview of what fans can look forward to this weekend.
$75,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies - Race 2
Sharing 112 points at the top of the standings, point leaders Rich Girl and Ibelieveinangels drew posts side-by-side in the final for freshman trotting fillies. In post three, Rich Girl will be steered by James MacDonald for trainer John Pentland, who co-owns the Wheeling N Dealin-You Cant Afford Me filly with Alan Bodin. She has made four starts in the Grassroots Series, returning with a record of 1-2-1 and $22,400 earned. Sharing the same statistics, Ibelieveinangels will line up in post four with Travis Cullen in the bike for trainer Meg Crone. Bill Donovan owns the daughter of Green Manalishi S out of the Cantab Hall mare Angel Eyes Hanover.
$75,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies - Race 3
Leading her group with 208 points and four wins in five starts, Tricky Wicky will start from post three with Jody Jamieson driving for Rene Dion. The daughter of McWicked and the Well Said mare Dobre Povedane is owned by breeders David and John Prushnok. Under the guidance of Dion, the filly has not missed the board in six starts. On the rail, Pick Me Up Hanover (Bettors Delight-Plaudit Hanover) shows five wins in seven career starts for trainer Jeff Byron and owners David Byron and Craig Wallwin. James MacDonald has his choice between the filly on the rail or post two Stellrmanipulation, trained by Terry McKibbin.
$75,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts & Geldings - Race 4
Hay Dad drew post 10 in the field of freshman males with Travis Henry in the sulky for Mark Etsell. Owned by Terry Devos, Peter Porter, and James Whelan, the Muscle Mass-Hay Darlene gelding tops the point standings with two wins and a second in five Grassroots starts. Next to the point leader is Cousin Halifax in post nine. The Trixton-Ms Mischief Maker gelding is third in the standings with a record of 2-1-0 in three starts. Owned by Bill Donovan and trained by David Menary, Cousin Halifax shows 4-2-0 in six starts with $46,000 earned and a mark of 1:56 taken in his last start. Driven by Louis-Philippe Roy, he will look to extend his current win streak to five.
$75,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts & Geldings - Race 6
Jodie Cullen's Blue Bar looks to extend his perfect OSS record, sitting at the top with four wins in four starts and $52,009 earned. Bred, owned and driven by Travis Cullen, the All Bets Off-Feelin Flush colt has drawn post seven. In post six, Sauble Wilson, trained by Otis Hall, tops the purse earnings of his group. Bred and owned by Nasussito Racing Inc. and Sean Dunnett, the Betterthancheddar-Performing Art colt has a record of 5-1-1 in eight starts and $52,160 earned.
$75,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies - Race 7
Two-year-old filly champion Flirty Dancer will look to add her second OSS title to her resume with Scott Young piloting the Paul Reid student from post five. Reid co-owns the Lookslikeachpndale-Hola Lola filly with Brian Kleinberg, Richard Beinhauer and Megan Martin. As the leader of the standings with 176 points earned from a record of 3-1-0 in five starts, Rhythm Of Life will start from post six with James MacDonald holding the lines. Shawn Steacy trains the daughter of Muscle Mass-Royal Rhythm for owners Landmark 16 Racing Stable, Glengate Farms, Carmen Chrysdale and Guy Haskell. She took her mark of 1:55.3 in the fifth leg of the series.
$75,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies - Race 8
How Much broke the six-figure earnings level for the season after winning her last start in 1:51.3. She took her mark of 1:49.3 earlier in the year in the Grassroots and shows a record of 7-5-2 for the season in 19 starts. Trained by David Menary for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, the All Bets Off-Dominican Hanover filly drew post two with Doug McNair in the driver's seat. Point leader Collusion Hanover (Bettors Delight-Covfefe), with a record of 3-1-0 in five starts in the series, landed in post five with Louis-Philippe Roy in the bike for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination.
$75,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts & Geldings - Race 9
Gregg McNair sends two starters to the gate in the final for the trotting males. Leading the standings is Jack N Abs, who snagged post 10 in the final. He has shown a record of 2-1-1 in five starts in the series with $28,400 earned. Owned by McNair with Brady Doyle and Shady Hill Racing Stable, the Muscle Mass-Lady Blind colt has a seasonal tally of 4-5-2 in 14 starts with a mark of 1:54. R No Mercy will seek redemption off a second-place finish in the Grassroots freshman trot final in 2023 as he takes post four. Thomas and Elizabeth Rankin bred and own the Alarm Detector-Absolut Seelster gelding. He has won one race in three starts in the series this year. Doug McNair will have his choice from the pair of trotting males.
$75,000 OSS Grassroots Final - Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts & Geldings - Race 10
Unraced as a freshman, Lakers Bank has found his success in the Grassroots Series as a sophomore, leading the ranks in the point standings. Owned by Val Spar Stables and trained by Tim Myers, the All Bets Off-Victorias Vett gelding has made three wins in five starts in the series. Trevor Henry will be in the bike of Lakers Bank from post four. Sitting fourth in the point standings, but at the top of the seasonal purse earnings list for his field, The Vicar (Artspeak-St Lads Billiejean) will be driven from the rail by Louis-Philippe Roy for trainer Tyler Moore and owner Glb Stable. He has a record of 8-3-0 in 14 starts this year and $77,049 earned.
The consolation races will be held Friday, Sept. 27 with eight races slated for Races 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11.
New for the OSS 50th Anniversary season, the winner of the Grassroots Championship may enter and draw into the Super Final if it does not fill with Gold Series point earners. The Super Finals will take place on Oct. 12 at Mohawk.
To view entries for this weekend's cards of harness racing, click on one of the following links:
- Woodbine Mohawk Park - Friday Entries || Friday Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT)
- Woodbine Mohawk Park - Saturday Entries || Saturday Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT)
(Standardbred Canada with files from Ontario Racing)