Seven three-year-old male pacers took to the track under rainy skies at Woodbine Mohawk Park for Ontario Sires Stakes Gold leg No. 4 Friday night.
Like A Glove was scratched due to illness and show wagering was subsequently not offered on the race.
North America Cup champion Nijinsky, who was third among OSS sophomore male pacers this season, faced closest-ranked rival Trophy Taker, who sat second in divisional standings going into the fourth OSS Gold leg.
Storm Shadow, this year’s top OSS three-year-old male pacer to date, made his most recent start in the Carl Milstein Memorial on Aug. 10 at Northfield Park, finishing off the board after making a break. He was not part of the Friday night field at Mohawk.
With the track rated as “Good” at post time, Chain Gang and Crush Kill Destroy both left aggressively from outer posts. The former made for front before the first turn for driver Trevor Henry. Chain Gang led to the :26.4 opening quarter, with Crush Kill Destroy and driver Doug McNair sitting in the pocket, just ahead of Trophy Taker and Sylvain Filion.
Jody Jamieson sent Legal Attack first-over from fourth approaching the :56.1 half, providing cover to 1-5 favourite Nijinsky, who followed second-over from fifth for driver James MacDonald. Trophy Taker broke when he was shuffled back to sixth along the pylons, before the field reached three-quarters in 1:23.1.
Chain Gang was still ahead by two lengths at the top of the stretch, but then Nijinsky unleashed a three-wide late kick that carried him past Henry’s colt and down the long Mohawk stretch. The North America Cup champion opened up late for the 1:51 victory, his eighth this year. His winning margin was three and a half lengths.
Crush Kill Destroy came on for place ahead of a fast-closing Wikipedia, driven by Travis Cullen. Pacesetter Chain Gang finished fourth.
MacDonald was motionless in the sulky as Nijinksy danced to his latest win, the first since July 6, when the colt took his lifetime mark in a Meadowlands Pace elimination.
“He’s just so brave right now. [Louis-Philippe Roy] and Anthony [Beaton] have done an amazing job with him,” said MacDonald, referencing the colt’s regular driver and trainer. “All year he’s just been flying home, and blowing by great horses. Last year he was fast, this year, he’s just unbelievable.”
The last time MacDonald got a chance to drive Nijinsky was in 2023, and since then he’s noticed that the colt’s become better gaited, more mature and stronger since then.
“He’s just a really fun horse to sit behind,” added the winning driver. “He’s just a real professional to drive. He’s two-fingers. He just waits on you. The only time he hardly gets on the bit at all is when he’s ready to rock. So, he swelled up on the last turn and when I moved him, he was airborne.”
MacDonald confirmed that the colt’s regular driver Roy was in PEI with family for Old Home Week, hence the catch drive.
“He’s a cool little horse and I’m just grateful for the chance to drive him this week,” he added.
Announcer Chad Rozema stated that Beaton went over $10 million in career training earnings with Ninjinky’s win in the $140,000 OSS Gold leg.
Nijinksy is a son of Bettors Delight out of Pirouette Hanover, bred by Jeffrey Snyder of New York, N.Y. The former $120,000 Harrisburg yearling is owned by West Wins Stable of Wellington, Fla., John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont., and Mark Dumain of Pine Bush, N.Y.
FEATURED PHOTO: Nijinsky winning an OSS Gold Series race with James MacDonald in the sulky at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, Aug. 16 (Clive Cohen/New Image Media)
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