October 11, 2024
By Ontario Sires Stakes Communications
Of any horse participating in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series, Monalishi has been among the most dominant forces on the leaderboard. Standing 46 points clear of her next-closest rival, Medley Seelster (Wheeling N Dealin), this daughter of Green Manalishi S has taken the two-year-old trotting filly division by storm this year.
She finished a perfect 4-for-4 in OSS Gold races, including the $150,000 OSS Gold Mid-Season Final, and scored a victory in the $390,000 Peaceful Way Final.
In total, Monalishi, who is owned by Tim Klemencic of Trenton, Ont. and Blake MacIntosh of St. George, Ont., earned $495,311 in her rookie season, including $240,000 in OSS competition, winning six races and coming in second once across nine starts.
Bred by Shmuel Farhi (London, Ont.) and purchased for only $28,000 at the Harrisburg November Sale, Monalishi wasn’t expected to be this kind of filly at first, but when put into her first race, a natural competitiveness emerged that has proven to be a winning trait.
“She wants to win,” said MacIntosh, who also trains Monalishi. “She doesn’t want to let them pass and she wants to pass them. … She’s just one of those horses that wants to win. It’s like a human. Some people just want to win.”
A will for victory is a great characteristic to have for any racehorse, and for Monalishi this has manifested in her not just on the track but in the barn as well.
“She’s pretty intense,” MacIntosh said of Monalishi’s personality. “It can take up to three hours some days to catch her in her stall and if you don’t go to her first that’s when you’re in trouble. She wants to be first in everything, and she wants to make sure that you know that she’s the boss and that’s the way it is.”
Monalishi’s alpha attitude can be a little difficult to deal with for her caretakers, but for driver James MacDonald, she’s been great to work with, particularly in her ability to bounce back from poorer starts, such as a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Mohawk Million followed immediately by a win the week after in a Gold Series event.
“She was great in her last start,” MacDonald said. “I was a little disappointed in the Mohawk Million not to have that work out, but that’s racing and she bounced back nicely and got a win last start, so I expect her to have a good shot again on Saturday.”
And like MacIntosh, MacDonald has gladly taken note of Monalishi’s natural competitiveness.
“She’s got a good attitude,” said MacDonald. “She likes passing horses and she likes to win. She knows how to win, she’s competitive and when she gets her trip and she’s on her game, she’s pretty tough.
“She beat some of the best in North America in the Peaceful Way and, like I said, if she brings her A-game she’s going to be really tough to beat.”
Heading into Saturday’s Gold Super Finals, there’s some trepidation to be found from MacIntosh about Monalishi’s chances, but he’s hopeful that she can finish the job.
“It’s just another race and we’re just hoping everything goes right and she’s there at the end and we get a great trip,” said MacIntosh. “We’re just really hopeful that she can win. It would be nice. She’s had a great year, and she deserves to win, but anything can happen.”
With a horse with the kind of competitive spirit that Monalishi has, she’s bound to be in the thick of things Saturday.
FEATURED PHOTO: Monalishi winning the Peaceful Way Final on Aug. 24, 2024 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (Clive Cohen/New Image Media)
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