Kawartha Downs hosted four Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots and three Prospect Series races for two-year-old pacing fillies on the evening of Friday, July 19.
Attendance was visibly strong for the 11-race card, featuring the second leg of the 2024 OSS events for the freshman filly pacers and Ontario Sires Stakes 50th anniversary celebrations.
In Race 1, a $20,000 Grassroots leg with a field of nine, Mystic Moment was first to the front for driver Guy Gagnon. She was circled by My Gelato, in line to Brett MacDonald, past the :27.1 opening quarter. The new leader faced pressure from 6-5 favourite Oneformybaby and driver Jason Ryan, who advanced first-over from third past the :57.3 half and along the backstretch. The top pair matched strides to three-quarters in 1:25.3, in a duel that continued into the stretch. Oneformybaby finally drew clear, opening up by four lengths late in the 1:55.3 mile.
My Gelato held on for place, ahead of Mystic Moment, who was gaining ground again in the shadow of the wire.
Oneformybaby is a homebred Hes Watching-Poto Hanover filly, owned by Millar Farms of Stouffville, Ont., and trained by Nick Gallucci. The OSS Grassroots win was her maiden victory, after a tough trip in her one previous start in OSS Gold July 6 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. She is the first and only foal of her dam.
Race 2 showcased six Prospect Series fillies, racing for an $8,000 purse. Century Lunar grabbed early command for driver Samuel Fillion, chased by first-over challenger Gurl Swag and driver Nick Boyd into the first turn. Boyd’s filly landed on the lead before the :27.3 opening quarter. Wicked Spark stepped out from fourth approaching the second turn for driver Daryl Thiessen, gradually gaining ground first-over to the :58.3 half. Gurl Swag maintained a narrow lead to three-quarters, reached in 1:27 flat. Century Lunar sat in the pocket while Wicked Spark fought on gamely outside. In the stretch, Fillion unleashed 9-5 winner Century Lunar, who outsprinted Wicked Spark to the wire in 1:58.1.
Sara B Delight, driven by Mario Baillargeon, closed for show despite interference.
Century Lunar is a daughter of Dancin Lou-Sunshine Patriot, owned by French Connection Racing of Becancour, Que., Louis-Philippe Roy of Campbellville, Ont., and Gaston Bibeau of Sorel-Tracy, Que., and trained by Eric Nadeau. She was bred by Century Spring Farms, of Gorrie, Ont., and sold for $20,000 at the 2023 London Classic Yearling Sale. The win was a maiden pari-mutuel victory in her first career start, after two winning qualifiers at Hippodrome 3R and Woodbine Mohawk Park.
In Race 3, eight Grassroots fillies went behind the gate. Buildmeupbuttercup and driver Ryan left aggressively, with Catch My Passion, driven by Scott Young, in first-over pursuit. Tricky Wicky and driver Boyd sat single-file third as Catch My Passion worked her way to the lead before the 28-second opening quarter. She maintained control past the :58.1 half, keeping two lengths ahead of Buildmeupbuttercup. Tricky Wicky made her move from third approaching three-quarters, flushed out by an advancing All My Wishes (Gagnon). She passed that point in 1:26.1, but only shook free of Catch My Passion in the stretch, winning by three open lengths in 1:55.3. Buildmeupbuttercup held on for show.
Tricky Wicky is by McWicked, out of Dobre Povedane. Owned by her breeders David Prushnok and John Prushnok, both of Indiana, Pa., the Rene Dion trainee is undefeated in her first two OSS Grassroots legs. She took a 1:54.1 mark July 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, making her a popular 1-2 winning favourite in her second lifetime start.
Race 5 was the third Grassroots event, with nine fillies lining up for the start as dusk fell. Trainer-driver Gagnon sent the undefeated Jenny Longlegs straight to the front, as Fillion tucked 3-1 co-favourite Saddlebags in the pocket early. Fillion’s filly took charge past the :27.3 quarter, leaving Jenny Longlegs second, just ahead of TH Cha Cha Cha (Colin Kelly). Manhattan Mayhem and driver Young followed from single-file fourth, tipping first-over past the :57.1 half. Young’s filly was third on the outside at three-quarters, reached by leader Saddlebags in 1:25.4.
In the stretch, Saddlebags gave way to Manhattan Mayhem, who closed wide to finish ahead of next-best Jenny Longlegs and fast-closing show finisher Night Dancer (Boyd) in the 1:55 mile.
Bettors Delight daughter Manhattan Mayhem is the first foal of Manhattan Again, bred by co-owners Tony Basile of Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Atlas of Whitby, Ont. Nancy Malik of Ottawa, Ont., shares ownership of the maiden-breaking filly, who was a 7-2 winner in her OSS debut and second lifetime start. She was bought by trainer Shawn Steacy for $40,000 at the 2023 Harrisburg Black Book Sale.
Six Prospect Series fillies returned to the track in Race 6. Plastic Fantastic and driver Daryl Thiessen, powered past Silver Majesty (Fillion) off the gate, but drifted out on the turn, allowing Silver Majesty to grab command past the :28.4 opening quarter. Thiessen’s filly pressed the pace from first-over second, with The Lies We Tell (Baillargeon) in the pocket as Silver Majesty reached the half in 1:00.1. A three-wide move by 8-5 favourite Allstar Fireaway and driver Ryan carried them past the tiring Plastic Fantastic before three-quarters, reached in 1:29.1 by pace-setting Silver Majesty. She finally surrendered the lead to Allstar Fireaway in the stretch, with The Lies We Tell coming on for place. Silver Majesty held on for show in the 1:58.2 mile.
Allstar Fireaway is owned by her breeder, Kenneth Albrecht of Milverton, Ont., and trained by Jason Woodward. It was the first start and first win for the Sunfire Blue Chip-Debutante Divorcee daughter. She was scratched sick before her planned July 8 debut at Grand River Raceway.
Race 7 was the last Grassroots race of the card. Foreverafterall (Bradley Rae) got away quickest of the eight fillies. She was confronted by first-over rival Ithadtobeyou (Ryan) enroute to a :29.1 quarter. Ryan’s filly cleared to the lead before the second turn, ahead of Foreverafterall and Stellrmanipulation (Daryl Tiessen), who followed them from third. Blowin Doe (Kelly) had made a three-wide move on the first turn, and made another first-over bid from fourth past the :59.1 half. Blowin Doe advanced to second outside, applying pressure to leader Ithadtobeyou through a 1:28.1 clocking to three-quarters. On the turn for home, closers She Prefers Gin (MacDonald) and TJ Bliss (Young) made it a four-wide battle down the stretch, won by Ithadtobeyou, who held off Stellrmanipulation and She Prefers Gin for the 1:57.2 maiden victory. TJ Bliss finished sixth but was placed eighth for interference in the stretch.
Ithadtobeyou is by Bettors Delight out of Mindsweeper, herself a 2011 OSS Gold elimination and final winner at Woodbine Racetrack at age two. She gave owner-breeder Millar Farms and trainer Gallucci their second wins of the Kawartha card, winning at odds of 9-5. The filly finished third as beaten 1-2 favourite at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Grassroots Leg 1 on July 9.
Race 8 saw the final field of seven Prospect Series fillies wrap up the night’s stakes action. Mafalda and driver Baillargeon left best of all from the rail, with Laydee Freight (Doug Hie) to her outside early, then backing down to the pocket. First-over Windsun Charlotte (MacDonald) settled third before the :28.4 quarter, then renewed her bid on the second turn, clearing Mafalda past the 1:00.2 half. She led to three-quarters in 1:29 flat before Baillargeon’s filly left the pocket to sprint for the wire alongside Laydee Freight. The final decision went to Mafalda by a head over Windsun Charlotte in 1:58.2.
It was the first pari-mutuel victory for Mafalda, a 7-2 winner trained by Benoit Baillargeon for owner-breeders Santo Vena of Cedar Valley, Ont., and Nunzio Vena of Bolton, Ont. The Bettors Delight-Racy Gal Hanover filly was seventh from an outside post in her July 9 OSS Grassroots start at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
In addition to the action on the track, Kawartha Downs fans were also treated to 50th Anniversary celebrations that included hat giveaways, historical displays, kids’ activity books and more.
The Ontario Sires Stakes 50th Anniversary tour next makes a stop at Georgian Downs on Aug. 11.
Complete results from Friday’s program are available here and replays can be viewed on the Kawartha Downs Youtube channel.
FEATURED PHOTO: Trick Wicky winning an OSS Grassroots Series race at Woodbine Mohawk Park on July 9, 2024. (Clive Cohen/New Image Media)
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