Late bloomers, horses light on luck and those who came up short of expectations all have a chance to put a little money in the bank in the annual Autumn and Harvest Series’ at Ontario racetracks this fall.
For Ontario Sired two and three-year-olds, the Autumn Series is for non-winners of $10,000 lifetime as of midnight Sept. 30, 2021 and is raced in October at Flamboro Downs and The Raceway at the Western Fair District, while the Harvest Series is for non-winners of $30,000 in 2021 as of midnight on September 30 and is raced at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with the two-year-olds going postward in October and the three-year-olds in November. Nominations for both the Autumn and Harvest Series are due Friday, Oct. 1.
“It’s a good little series for horses that didn’t make it as [Ontario Sires Stakes] Gold horses or top Grassroots horses; it gives them a chance to make a little money,” said trainer Ashleigh Hensley, who captured the Harvest Series three-year-old pacing filly final last fall with Rose Run Victory. “It’s good for people selling their three-year-olds too.”
Shadow Play daughter Rose Run Victory was purchased by Pennsylvania-based owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi and Phillip Collura at the end of her Ontario Sires Stakes season and won the second leg and the final of the Harvest Series, banking $34,650 for her new owners. Rose Run Victory had tried her hand at both the Grassroots and Gold Series levels in the provincial program before changing hands, but failed to qualify for the post season at either level.
Peter, Curtis and Amy Clements of Dobbinton, Ont. captured the 2020 three-year-old trotting filly Autumn Series Final at The Raceway at the Western Fair District with Cool Princess, who missed out on an Ontario Sires Stakes campaign after an early season injury. With wins in the first leg and the final and a second in the second leg, the Royalty For Life daughter netted her owners $17,975.
“It was really nice to have these tracks offer that non-winners of $10,000 as of September; it worked out really well for us. We knew she had a little bit of go and she could get around a half really well, so it was kind of our game plan to take her there and it actually ended up working out really well for us, going to London,” said Curtis Clements, who trained and drove the filly to the win. “I am kind of glad they offer those things at the tracks, especially for people who have a lot more ‘B’ horses than maybe ‘A’ horses.”
Both Hensley and Clements have horses that fit the Autumn and Harvest Series conditions again this fall. Clements will be hoping for repeat success in the three-year-old trotting filly Autumn Series with P C Free Wheeling, a Wheeling N Dealin homebred that made her career debut earlier this month. The Hensley’s recently purchased three-year-old Muscle Mass gelding Rosies War Bonds, who is headed for the Harvest Series, and trainer Ron Burke and his partners have also acquired a trio of Ontario Sired youngsters that fit the conditions.
“They bought them so that they can race them in the last couple Grassroots and then put them in there (Harvest Series),” said Dundas, Ont. resident Hensley. “It kind of helps to pay for the horse they just bought if they can have some luck in it.”
Complete details, including a nomination form and conditions, are available here for the Autumn Series and here for the Harvest Series.
Nominations for the Harvest and Autumn Series can be paid online through Woodbine's website or SC Stakes Online. For additional information, please contact Dana Keyes in the Woodbine Mohawk Park race office at 905-854-7805.
(With files from OSS)