Three of four two-year-old divisions were represented with the fifth leg of Ontario Sires Stakes Gold action on Monday, Sept. 29 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Lone $140,000 divisions were needed for two-year-old pacing fillies and two-year-old trotting colts, while a pair of $90,000 splits were contested for rookie trotting fillies.
Driver Doug McNair took the first three stakes splits on the evening, first teaming up with A Clean Deal (pictured above) to take the filly pace at 6-5.
Leaving from the rail, A Clean Deal got away in third early while 4-5 favourite Daya (Jody Jamieson) got to the top through a quarter of :27.2. McNair brushed A Clean Deal to the top on the backstretch, grabbing command at the half in :55.4 before bringing the six fillies to three-quarters in 1:24.
Turning for home, Daya took aim from the pocket while A Clean Deal countered and quickened and the duo began to speed away from the rest. Pacing home in :26.3, A Clean Deal held Daya at bay by three parts of a length in 1:50.3. Jen Tilly (Louis-Philippe Roy) finished third, 4-1/4-lengths back of the winner.
Trained by Kyle Fellows, A Clean Deal has won four consecutive races and five of six on the season for owners Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood, Ont., Blair Corbeil of Laduc, Alta., Windermere Stable of New York City, New York and James Ross of Wingham, Ont. Bred by Winbak Farm, the daughter of Cattlewash-Ideal Talker has banked $304,464 on the year.
McNair and Fellows teamed up once more with Touchedbyanangel to pull off a 9-1 upset in the division for two-year-old trotting colts.
Leaving from post two, Touchedbyanangel got away sixth in the field of 11 as Strobe Lite (James MacDonald) got to the top through a quarter of :27.2. Strobe Lite took pressure from a parked out Mike Me Up (Travis Henry) at the half in :56.1 while Touchedbyanangel angled off the cones. Touchedbyanangel caught the retreating cover of Mike Me Up before moving three-wide to give chase to Strobe Lite at three-quarters in 1:26.
Strobe Lite battled to the inside while Touchedbyanangel moved alongside in the stretch. The two battled to the wire, with Touchedbyanangel getting to the wire first by a head in 1:54.2. Mass Deployment (Tyler Borth) rallied up the cones to be third.
The clocking matched the career best of Touchedbyanangel, who has won two of 10 starts this year for owners Yolanda Fellows and Blair Corbeil and partners Mike McAllister of Beaumont, Alta., and Peter Porter of of Port Dover, Ont. Bred by Blair and Erna Corbeil, the Archangel-Rubys Are Nice colt has complied a bankroll of $187,387.
In between stakes scores with Kyle Fellows, McNair teamed up with his father, Gregg, to take the first two-year-old filly trot division with Cher Hill.
Cher Hill settled along the cones in third early as the 9-5 second choice while Greek Manalishi (Natasha Day) cut the quarter in :27.1. Greek Manalishi rolled to the half in :56.3 while Bingo Night (Tyler Jones) moved first-over from third before being able to tuck in second en route to three-quarters in 1:25 while Cher Hill tipped from fourth.
Bingo Night moved once more turning for home, grabbing a short lead before Cher Hill charged late. Cher Hill rallied past Bingo Night before fending off a hard-charging Cupid Hall (Travis Henry) by a neck in a three-across finish in 1:54.3.
Tom Hill's homebred daughter of Muscle Mass-Lauramarie Hill has won three of nine races on the year, good for earnings of $127,937.
The second division for trotting fillies belonged to Flowing Tribute and driver Bob McClure as the duo led wire-to-wire.
McClure put the 1-5 favourite on top of the field of seven through a quarter of :28.2 before tapping the brakes to the half in :58.1. Flowing Tribute maintained a 1-1/2-length lead over pocket-sitter Barbara May (Doug McNair) at three-quarters in 1:27.1.
Under minimal McClure urging, Flowing Tribute opened up a commanding lead midway through the stretch before coasting home a 1-3/4-length winner in 1:55. Barbara May was second, with Lo And Behold (Louis-Philippe Roy) five lengths back of the winner in third.
Paul Reid trains Flowing Tribute, who has reeled off four straight wins and won five of six in her rookie campaign. Bred by Diane Ingham and Brenda Barnim, the daughter of Green Manalishi S-Watch The Show has earned $210,600 on the year for owners Patrick Dillon of Port Hope, Ont., Laurie Rooney of Deleon Springs, Florida, Brian Kleinberg of Madison, New Jersey and Richard Beinhauer of Venetia, Pennsylvania.
In addition to the Gold legs, the Monday card featured a pair of $16,000 Pop-Up Series splits for trotters who have started for a purse of $12,000 or less in their last three starts. The second leg divisions were won by Muscle Fashion (Jody Jamieson, $8) in 1:52.4 and JGs Pal (Travis Henry, $21.60) in 1:54.4.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)