from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Campbellville, ON — Less than two weeks after they made their 2016 Ontario Sires Stakes debut, Mohawk Racetrack welcomed back the 3-year-old trotting colts on Monday (July 11) for two $79,800 Gold Series divisions and crowned a pair of first-time OSS winners.

New Image Media photo

Randy Waples piloted Muscle Hustle to his first ever Ontario Sires Stakes win at Mohawk Racetrack.

Impressed with his runner-up effort in the season opener, fans sent Muscle Hustle off as their top choice from post three in the first division. The colt and driver Randy Wales responded with a confident move to the front just past the :27.4 quarter, a spot they refused to relinquish when pressured by last year’s division champion Tony Soprano heading for the :56.4 half.

Having dealt with the initial challenge Muscle Hustle pulled away from the field by the 1:24.2 three-quarters and powered across the wire 1-1/2 lengths ahead of Sass and Smoke Monkey. The 1:52.4 clocking lowered the colt’s personal best by almost two full seconds.

“He’s never been there before, and that’s a big mile for any 3-year-old trotter this early in the year,” said Waples from the winner’s circle. “He just seems to be getting a little bit better each week too. He started out good, but each week he seems to get even a little bit more better than he was, so it’ll be interesting to see what he does down the road.”

Waples drives the son of Muscle Mass and Crown Laurel for trainer Per Henriksen and owner Ecurie Bergh Inc. In seven sophomore starts, Muscle Hustle has tallied five wins and one second for earnings of $85,849. The trotter made just three starts last season, posting one win and one third-place result.

The second division saw June 27 winner Will Take Charge established as the heavy favorite and driver Paul MacDonell also chose to put the colt on the front, leaving strongly from post six and taking command just after the :27 quarter. Will Take Charge went unchallenged through a :56 half and 1:24.4 three-quarters, but Warrawee Roo had been stalking the pace from the outer lane and when the field squared up in the stretch and driver Sylvain Filion asked for another gear, Warrawee Roo sprinted by the pacesetter to a 1:53.3 victory. Will Take Charge settled for second and Dia Monde was third.

“Tonight I thought he was maybe second best with the nine-hole, but it turned out he raced really huge and he dug in,” said Filion. “He’s a really, really nice horse.”

Warrawee Roo looked poised to win his division in the opening leg of the Gold Series, but skipped off-stride and finished seventh. He also made a mistake in his sophomore debut, but in between he was flawless, scoring three victories between May 19 and June 16. Filion pilots Warrawee Roo for trainer Luc Blais and Determination and gives high praise to Blais for the work he has done on the colt.

“Luc’s working very hard with him and trying to figure him out, all his little problems,” noted the reinsman. “If he ever gets him 100 percent, he’s the best in there, in that category anyway.”

The 3-year-old trotting colts will square off in their third Gold Series event on Aug. 10 at Grand River Raceway.