MILTON, OCT. 9, 2024 – The draws for the eight Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series Super Finals races this Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park are set with six wild-card entries from the Grassroots champions getting a chance to claim part of the $2.4 million entering the fray, and a Lampman Cup race that could come down to the very last race.
Of the eight Grassroots champions that were crowned on Sept. 28, as many as seven have the potential to participate Saturday. They are Century Komodo (three-year-old colt pace), Collusion Hanover (three-year-old filly pace), Crack Shot (two-year-old colt pace), Love Those Legs (three-year-old filly trot), Tellers Choice (two-year-old filly trot), Wendell Blue Chip (two-year-old colt trot) and Pick Me Up Hanover (two-year-old filly pace) is listed as an “Also Eligible” entry.
Saturday’s 12-race card at Mohawk will see the Gold Super Finals events take place from Races 2-9.
Horses must have started in a minimum of one Gold Series Legs to be eligible for their respective Final. Complete point standings can be found on the Leaderboard page of the Ontario Sires Stakes website.
New for the OSS 50th Anniversary season, winners from the Grassroots Championships are allowed to enter and draw into the Super Final if it does not fill with Gold Series point earners.
This new twist added to the Gold Super Finals this year, while certainly adding another level of excitement to the racing with a wild-card factor, may not work for everyone, however.
“It helps the event itself and makes for better racing … I’m happy with [the new rule] because we got a horse in who made the Gold Finals,” said Gregg McNair, who trains Crack Shot. “On the other hand, let’s say you had the best Gold horse and some horse from the Grassroots comes along and beats you in the final, you wouldn’t think this was a good rule.”
Interestingly, Crack Shot followed up his Grassroots Championship with a second-place finish in last week’s Gold Series leg, meaning the scenario that McNair, who has locked up his sixth Johnston Cup as the leading trainer in the OSS, laid out with a Grassroots horse swooping in during the Gold Finals and winning it all could play out with his own horse.
“He was second, but he was coming pretty good at the end,” said McNair of Crack Shot’s Oct. 3 performance. “He’s about as good right now as he’s been all year.”
Heading into Saturday’s action, the Grassroots invitees will be a very interesting story to watch, along with a tight two-man race for the Lampman Cup between Doug McNair, who previously won in 2014, and three-time defending champion James MacDonald.
Only 11 points separate McNair from MacDonald and with both men driving in all eight Super Finals on Saturday, the 2024 Lampman Cup could literally come down to the final OSS race of the evening.
“It’s always fun when it’s close. We love the competition. That’s what we’re in the game for,” said MacDonald of the tight Lampman Cup standings. “So, it’s a dogfight, but, hopefully, I can come out on top. I’m just happy to drive some great horses.”
Here’s a look at the draw of each OSS Gold Series Super Finals race:
Race 2 – Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies (Purse: $300,000)
1 – Foxy Amee | Driver: Paul MacDonell | Trainer: Paul MacDonell
2 – Sprite Seelster | Driver: Tyler Borth | Trainer: Gregg McNair
3 – Tellers Choice | Driver: Bob McClure | Trainer: Luc Blais
4 – Exquisite Taste | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Eric Nadeau
5 – Monalishi | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: Blake MacIntosh
6 – Lil Sweet | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: David Menary
7 – TH Monica | Driver: Bob McClure | Trainer: Francis Dumouchel
8 – Medley Seelster | Driver: Jody Jamieson | Trainer: Blake MacIntosh
9 – Baden Baden | Driver: Tyler Jones | Trainer: Duncan Brewer
10 – Supergirl Molly | Driver: Trevor Henry | Trainer: Dale Devine
Race 3 – Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies (Purse: $300,000)
1 – Darlenes Angel | Driver: Trevor Henry | Trainer: Victor Puddy
2 – Wicked N Single | Driver: Jonathan Drury | Trainer: Anthony Beaton
3 – Chantilly | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: Nick Gallucci
4 – Outtathisworld Deo | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Chantal Mitchell
5 – Millie May Hanover | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Andrew Harris
6 – Wickedpace | Driver: Jody Jamieson | Trainer: Paul Cameron
7 – Macapelo Seelster | Driver: Tyler Borth | Trainer: Peter Brickman
8 – Lady Cafe Au Lait | Driver: Trevor Henry | Trainer: Victory Puddy
9 – Barb Lahey | Driver: Travis Cullen | Trainer: Michael Kwietniowski
10 – Tall Dark Lady | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Gregg McNair
AE1 – Pick Me Up Hanover | Driver: Aaron Byron | Trainer: Jeffrey Byron
Race 4 – Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies (Purse: $300,000)
1 – P L Rainbow Dash | Driver: Bob McClure | Trainer: Katie Huskinson
2 – No One | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Bruce Richardson
3 – Love Those Legs | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Luc Blais
4 – Valuable Miss | Driver: Trevor Henry | Trainer: Kyle Bossence
5 – Nautilus B | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Jeffrey Gillis
6 – Willys Home Run | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: Robert Fellows
7 – R Liza | Driver: Jody Jamieson | Trainer: Susanne Kerwood
8 – Kinnder Hotblood | Driver: Todd Ratchford | Trainer: Matthew Bax
Race 5 – Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts (Purse: $300,000)
1 – Galen Erso | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Gregg McNair
2 – Getthegreen | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: Roger Mayotte
3 – Wendell Blue Chip | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Jared Bako
4 – Chicago Hall | Driver: Chris Christoforou | Trainer: Dominic Gladu
5 – Sound N Vision | Driver: Mario Baillargeon | Trainer: Mark Etsell
6 – Call Me Parker | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Benoit Baillargeon
7 – Rising Interest | Driver: Tyler Borth | Trainer: Victor Puddy
8 – Shutter Green | Driver: Bob McClure | Trainer: Mark Etsell
9 – You Got It Kemp | Driver: Sylvain Filion | Trainer: Daniel Lagace
10 – Artful Dodger | Driver: Jody Jamieson | Trainer: Anthony Beaton
Race 6 – Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies (Purse: $300,000)
1 – One More Bet | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Jean Tourigny
2 – Lightning Lizzie | Driver: Brett MacDonald | Trainer: Murray Brethour
3 – Its A Love Thing | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: David Menary
4 – Pass Line | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: David Menary
5 – Odds On Platinum | Driver: Sylvain Filion | Trainer: Ian Moore
6 – Collusion Hanover | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Luc Blais
7 – Blazing Belle | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Gregg McNair
8 – Sorcha Seelster | Driver: Bob McClure | Trainer: John Pentland
9 – Coco Jo Jo | Driver: Jody Jamieson | Trainer: Anthonyu Beaton
Race 7 – Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts (Purse: $300,000)
1 – Sterling Choice | Driver: Louis Philippe Roy | Trainer: Blake MacIntosh
2 – Smiling Dancer | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: Paul Ritchie
3 – Docs Buddy | Driver: Jonathan Drury | Trainer: Nick Gallucci
4 – Boxer Seelster | Driver: Trevor Henry | Trainer: Scott McEneny
5 – Century Lucifer | Driver: Tyler Borth | Trainer: Rene Dion
6 – Allstar Maniac | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: Nick Gallucci
7 – Out Of Ice | Driver: Jody Jamieson | Trainer: Carl Jamieson
8 – Crack Shot | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Gregg McNair
9 – Fifth And Five | Driver: Jody Jamieson | Trainer: Carl Jamieson
10 – Stonebridge Wizard | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Jared Bako
Race 8 – Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts (Purse: $300,000)
1 – Fabulous Freddie | Driver: Chris Christoforou | Trainer: Camilla Christoforou
2 – What About Elmo | Driver: Tyler Jones | Trainer: Paul Reid
3 – Ways N Means | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Michael Keeling
4 – Paquet | Driver: Jody Jamieson | Trainer: Carl Jamieson
5 – Captain Wania | Driver: Trevor Henry | Trainer: Shannon Henry
6 – Griff | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: Murray Brethour
7 – Myretirementdream | Driver: Scott Young | Trainer: Eli Wagler
8 – Willowtime | Driver: Bob McClure | Trainer: Mark Etsell
9 – Masstercraft | Driver: Tyler Borth | Trainer: Kyle Bossence
10 – Finite | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Clark Beelby
AE1 – Mrstery Deal | Driver: Tyler Jones | Trainer: Gaetan Hebert
AE2 – Scintillating Tom | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Gregg McNair
Race 9 – Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts (Purse: $300,000)
1 – Storm Shadow | Driver: Bob McClure | Trainer: Ian Moore
2 – Wikipedia | Driver: Travis Cullen | Trainer: Anthony Beaton
3 – Century Komodo | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Anthony Beaton
4 – Crush Kill Destroy | Driver: Doug McNair | Trainer: Per Engblom
5 – Unrivaled Hanover | Driver: Jonathan Drury | Trainer: Shawn Steacy
6 – Best Night Ever | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: Anthony Beaton
7 – Legal Attack | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Per Engblom
8 – Nijinsky | Driver: Louis-Philippe Roy | Trainer: Anthony Beaton
9 – Trophy Taker | Driver: James MacDonald | Trainer: David Menary
Post time Saturday is 7:10 p.m. Fans can download a free program here. Streaming information can be found here. For those looking to make a bet on the action off-track, please visit HPIBet.
FEATURED PHOTO: Crack Shot (Bettors Delight) winning the OSS Grassroots Championship for two-year-old pacing colts on Sept. 28, 2024 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. (Clive Cohen/New Image Media)
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