from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Elora, ON — Gregg and Doug McNair had another outstanding afternoon during their local oval’s annual showcase of harness racing. The father-son duo — the top trainer and driver in the Ontario Sires Stakes program in 2014 — took four horses to Grand River Raceway on Monday (Aug. 3) for the 25th Industry Day program and went home with three wins and one third.

Kicking off Team McNair’s impressive afternoon was 3-year-old pacing filly Solar Sister, who captured the first $80,850 Gold Series division in 1:53.2, just one-fifth of a second off the track record.

Iron Horse photo

Doug McNair kicked off an outstanding Industry Day at Grand River Raceway with a 1:53.2 Gold Series victory behind 3-year-old pacing filly Solar Sister.

Starting from post one the Mach Three filly and driver Doug McNair took command of the race just past the :26.3 opening quarter and carried on to a :54.4 half and a 1:24 three-quarters before hitting the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Wrangler Magic. Stonebridge Quest finished 2-1/2 lengths back of the favorites in third.

“She drew good and took advantage of it,” said Gregg McNair, who conditions Solar Sister for owner-breeders David Willmot and Clay Harland Horner. “It was a big mile. We had a lot of rain around here yesterday so the track, it’s good now, but it’ll likely even get faster by the end of the day.

“They did a good job, this morning I was up here and it had a few ruts in it,” he added. “They did quite a bit of work.”

The win was Solar Sister’s third in Gold Series action this season, giving her a perfect 150 points and top spot in the division standings. Through nine sophomore starts the filly boasts a record of six wins and one third for earnings of $259,625. In addition to her Gold Series trophies she also captured the SBOA Stake final at Mohawk Racetrack on May 30 and finished third in the Fan Hanover final at Mohawk on June 20.

Doug and Gregg McNair returned to the Grand River Raceway winner’s circle one race later, with 2-year-old pacing filly Stonebridge Pearl, who sprinted down the stretch to a 1:57.3 score in the Battle of the Belles consolation. Doug McNair and the Mach Three daughter, who is a Gold Series regular, bested Miss Babe Delight and favorite Twin B Virtue by a length. Gregg McNair trains Stonebridge Pearl for his partners Terry and Jake Davidson.

The 5-year-old trotting gelding Buddy Hally, who was a Grassroots champion at two and a Gold Series consolation winner at three, was the next horse out of the McNair barn and he posted a third-place result in the Doug Gamsby Memorial Trot, behind 1:58.2 winner Extracurricular and Stormont Kate. Gregg McNair shares ownership of Buddy Hally with Howmac Farms Ltd., Reginald MacPherson and Wayne MacRae.

The McNairs capped off their spectacular afternoon by capturing their third Battle of Waterloo title with Magnum J, who rocketed away from post seven and around the half-mile oval to a 1:55.3 victory. Stonebridge Beach closed hard to finish a half-length back in second and Carolina Hurricane rounded out the top three. From the first crop of Ontario stallion Big Jim, Gold Series regular Magnum J is owned by Gregg McNair, Tony Lawrence and William Brown.

The other Gold Series division went to Ms Mac N Cheese and driver Sylvain Filion. The fan favorites landed in second spot from post four and stalked pacesetter Sports Chic through fractions of :27.2, :57.2 and 1:26 before sprinting up the inside in the stretch to a 1:55.3 triumph. Sports Chic settled for second, one length behind the winner, and Ride Away Shark completed the top three.

“I really thought I could maybe cut it out but I could see that Jody (Jamieson behind Sports Chic) wanted to cut it out,” said Filion. “I didn’t mind the two-hole, and she just responded great.

“She’s pretty much a push-button filly,” he added. “She showed today she was real good.”

Filion engineered Ms Mac N Cheese’s second Gold Series win for trainer Richard Moreau and owner David Ratchford. The Badlands Hanover daughter currently sits second in the division standings with 125 points from two wins and one second in three Gold Series starts. Second by a neck to Solar Sister in the SBOA Stake final, Ms Mac N Cheese boasts a record of five wins, two seconds and one third in eight 2015 starts for earnings of $167,495.

The 3-year-old pacing fillies make their fourth Gold Series start at Mohawk Racetrack on Aug. 27.

Rounding out the stakes action on the 25th anniversary Industry Day program was the Battle of the Belles, which went home with driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Dave Menary for the second time since its inception in 2009. Jamieson piloted Badlands Hanover daughter Free Show to an effortless 1:56.3 score over Betty Hill and Golden Idol for Menary and owner Hutt Racing Stable.

Stakes action returns to Grand River Raceway on Friday (Aug. 14) with the fourth Gold Series event for the 2-year-old trotting colts. Aug. 14 is Ontario Sires Stakes fan celebration night at the Elora oval and fans can dress up in the likeness of one of the freshman trotting colts’ names for a shot at $500 in prizes, or receive an OSS t-shirt autographed by some of the province’s top sires and racehorses.