July 21, 2024
By Ontario Sires Stakes Communications
MILTON, July 20, 2024 – Bettors Delight daughter and son Its A Love Thing and Nijinsky became harness racing’s newest millionaires after scoring victories in their respective $150,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Mid-Season Finals for pacing fillies and males, Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Its A Love Thing scored her sixth victory of the year in a time of 1:49.2. The $75,000 she earned for the win Saturday lifted her career bankroll to $1,068,974. Nijinsky, on the other hand, won in 1:50.2, and saw his bankroll increase to $1,044,082.
The Dave Menary-trained Its A Love Thing was the first of the two to become a millionaire on Saturday in Race 6. With James MacDonald in the sulky, she landed midpack to begin the first half of the race in fractions of :26.2 and :53.2. Approaching the three-quarter pole in 1:21.4, MacDonald steered Its A Love Thing to the outside, following Odds On Platinum, another Bettors Delight daughter, around to the final stretch where MacDonald then took Its A Love Thing out three wide and she did the rest.
“She’s unbelievable,” MacDonald said of Its A Love Thing after the race. “She’s got a never-ending amount of try and when the race is close that’s when you get her best effort. I’m just so proud of her. I can’t say enough good about her and I love her to death.”
Its A Love Thing was bred by Marvin and Lynn Katz (Toronto, Ont.) and Al Libfeld (Pickering, Ont.), and is owned by Eric Good (Davidsonville, Md.), Thomas Biederman (Lexington, Ky.), Joshua Green (Midway, Ky.) and Rich Lombardo Racing LLC (Solon, Ohio).
In Race 8, it was Nijinsky’s turn to add his name to the millionaire list.
With Louis-Philippe Roy in the bike seat for trainer Anthony Beaton, Nijinsky continued his dominant 2024 campaign.
Coming around the first turn, Nijinsky was found in fourth, reaching the first quarter in :26.4. After that first quarter behind, Roy directed Nijinsky to the outside and into the lead by the midway point in :55.1. Nijinsky wouldn’t relinquish that leading position, reaching the three-quarter mark in 1:23.3 and coasting to an easy victory without much challenge thereafter.
“He’s just a gentleman,” Roy said. “The dust settled there a little bit over the first turn and whenever they were gonna slow down a little bit I had him put to work and he just responded really well.”
The win was Nijinsky’s seventh in eight starts this year. The only time he didn’t win, he finished second to stable mate Legendary Hanover in the Meadowlands Pace last week.
Nijinsky is owned by West Wins Stable (Wellington, Fla.), John Fielding (Scarborough, Ont.) and Mark Dumain, (Pine Bush, N.Y.), and was bred by Jeffrey Snyder (New York, N.Y.).
Complete results from Saturday’s program are available here and replays can be viewed on the Woodbine Mohawk Park website.
The next OSS Gold Series races go July 25, with two-year-old trotting males and filles at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
FEATURED PHOTO: Its A Love Thing winning the Ontario Sires Stakes Mid-Season Final for pacing fillies at Woodbine Mohawk Park on July 20. (Clive Cohen/New Image Media)
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