Milton, ON – Touchedbyanangel’s second career Ontario Sires Stakes victory was an impressive one. The gelding overcame Post 10 and a late charge from 2025 O’Brien Award winner and Super Final champ Strobe Lite to post a lifetime-best 1:53 victory in the lone $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Series division for sophomore trotting colts in the fog on Sunday (May 24) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Sent off at 12-1, Touchedbyanangel was sent aggressively toward the front by Doug McNair. The pair were three-wide entering the first turn, and first over behind Mass Deployment toward the quarter pole. Touchedbyanangel was on top before the half and then faced a two-horse challenge from Mike Me Up (Louis-Philippe Roy) and Dream For Peace (Billy Davis, Jr.) much of the rest of the mile.
Touchedbyanangel eventually put away Mike Me Up and Dream For Peace and then had to hold off 2-5 favorite Strobe Lite (James MacDonald) to win by three-quarters of a length. Dream For Peace was third, D A Masstermind (Trevor Henry) was fourth and Thor B Good (Jonathan Drury) was fifth.
“[MacDonald] had the 2-5 shot [from Post 9] and he’s just trying not to get in too much trouble [off the gate],” McNair told Woodbine broadcaster Randy Waples. “I’m on the outside and I have to press and try to cross over, get away near the front, and try to be second or third… I thought I probably had the second or third best horse despite having the 10 hole, not that I underestimate him, but the 10 hole is tough. But he overcame it tonight.”
Touchedbyanangel is an Archangel gelding out of Rubys Are Nice owned by Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood, ON, the gelding’s breeder Blair Corbeil of Leduc, AB, Mike McAllister of Beaumont, AB and Peter Porter of Port Dover, ON. He was purchased for $70,000 at the 2025 Standardbred Horse Sales Company yearling auction in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The Gold victory was Touchedbyanangel’s first start for trainer Duane Marfisi. At 2, Touchedbyanangel’s lone OSS victory came in the final Gold leg of the season.
Touchedbyanangel improved to 2-0-1 in three 2026 starts and 4-1-1 in 15 career outings. He has earned $98,157 this year and $288,544 lifetime.