by Sandra Snyder, for the Ontario Sire Stakes

Campbellville, ON — When the 2-year-old trotting fillies kick off their Ontario Sires Stakes season at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday (July 5), the third Gold Series leg will feature a rare family reunion.

Lining up behind the starting gate will be both a daughter and a granddaughter of broodmare Red Hot And Blue.

The Valley Victory mare’s daughter Oceana will start from post six for Eddie Green, who owns, trains and drives the filly. By stallion Cornaro Dasolo, Oceana comes into the Gold Series test off a trio of qualifiers over the Mohawk Racetrack oval. After making breaks on both June 8 and June 14, the filly seemed to put it all together on June 22 and laid down a sharp 2:03.2 clocking in a runner-up effort.

On the starting gate to Oceana’s left, at post four, will be Torches Star, whose dam is Oceana’s half-sister Torch. The richest of Red Hot And Blue’s offspring to date, Torch earned $343,783 in her racing career, with the majority of that coming in the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

Torches Star will be the second of Torch’s daughters to compete in the provincial program and the Angus Hall lass heads into her first start off a trio of impressive qualifiers at Mohawk. The filly captured her qualifying divisions on June 8 and 14 in 2:03.3 and 2:02.1, respectively, then finished fifth on June 26 with a 2:01.1 effort.

Trainer Ben Wallace and owner Brad Grant will entrust Torches Star to the care of veteran reinsman Steve Condren, who was also in the race bike for her last two qualifiers.

Mohawk Racetrack’s Friday evening program begins at 7:25 p.m. and the spotlight will be on the 2-year-old trotting fillies in races one, two, three, six and nine. The program also features the first leg of the Town Pro Series for 3-year-old pacing fillies in races five and eight.

For complete entries go to this link.