October 12, 2023
By Mel Keith for Ontario Racing
MILTON, October 12, 2023 - Saturday night (Oct. 14) will be golden at Woodbine Mohawk Park, as the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series Super Finals for three-year-olds bring season-long rivalries back to the Campbellville, ON track one last time. With $300,000 up for grabs in each divisional championship, there will be no shortage of excitement.
Race 6 brings nine sophomore trotting fillies together for their rich Super Final. Number one in the division, Righteous Resolve (Resolve–Motown Muscle) will start from the rail for trainer Matt Bax and driver James MacDonald. Dam Motown Muscle was a multiple Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Leg winner at age three but was unable to upstage 2013 O’Brien and Dan Patch Horse of the Year Bee a Magician in that year’s Super Final. In the Oct. 2 Gold Series Leg, Righteous Resolve lowered Bee A Magician’s OSS record with her 1:52 victory and on Saturday she will be looking to both defend her freshman Super Final title and give her dam a vicarious sophomore victory.
Closest rival Baroness Hill (Kadabra–Secret Passion) starts from Post 6 for conditioner Chantal Mitchell and driver Doug McNair. Second in the Gold Series points standings, she did not compete in stakes company at two, but won her first OSS start in front-end style in the June 13 Gold Leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park. She finished third to Righteous Resolve in that filly's record-setting effort on Oct. 2, setting up for an exciting showdown this Saturday.
In Race 7, 10 three-year-old pacing fillies will vie for the Super Final title, with One Last Wish (Bettors Delight–Arts Diva) top of the rankings going into the race. Canada’s fastest three-year-old female pacer on a half-mile track this year, the homebred Ken Sucee trainee stepped up from last year’s OSS Grassroots Series campaign to capture Gold Legs 2 (July 18 at Woodbine Mohawk Park), 3 (Aug. 7 at Grand River Raceway), and 5 (Sept. 28 at Woodbine Mohawk Park) for driver Paul MacDonell. She was free-legged for the first victory, adding hopples for the second and third Gold Series wins.
Number two sophomore filly pacer Lyons Bettorday (Bettors Delight–Albany Hanover) has Super Final Post 9 for trainer Anthony Beaton and driver Doug McNair. The former $13,000 yearling has now earned $339,608 lifetime, despite having just one seasonal victory, June 2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in the Gold Series season opener.
Race 8 features the three-year-old male trotters, with a tight battle among three rivals with two OSS Gold wins apiece this season. Number one ranked Ghostly Casper (Resolve–Cool Creek Breeze) has Post 4 for trainer Benoit Baillargeon and driver Tyler Borth; second ranked Hasty Bid (My MVP–Sunshinenlollipops) starts from Post 7 for trainer Paige Austin and driver James MacDonald; and third ranked Tuscan Prince (Kadabra–Tosca) has Post 10 for trainer Luc Blais and driver Louis-Philippe Roy.
The three-year-old male pacers will settle their season-long score in the ninth race. Dan Patch and O’Brien Two-year-old Pacing Colt of the Year Stockade Seelster (State Treasurer–Soiree Seelster) will attempt to defend his 2022 Super Final title for trainer Dr. Ian Moore and driver Jody Jamieson. Canada’s fastest pacing colt on a five-eighths mile track this year, courtesy of a 1:50.3f Gold Leg victory at Rideau Carleton Raceway on August 13, starts from Post 8 again Saturday night.
The divisional leader was upset Oct. 5 in Gold Leg 5 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, when Better B Bold (Betterthancheddar–B So Lucky) stormed past in the stretch for driver Bob McClure and trainer Shawn Steacy. The deep-closing colt finished number two in the point standings and has Post 4 going into a Super Final with much on the line.
Post time is 7:10 p.m. for Woodbine Mohawk Park’s Saturday evening program, with the three-year-old stars taking their final Ontario Sires Stakes bows in Races 6 through 9.
Complete programs are available to download and all the Super Final action can be viewed on the Woodbine Mohawk Park live stream.
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