Ottawa, ON — Ontario Sires Stakes excitement arrives at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday (July 11) in the shape of 39 sophomore trotting colts and geldings and, for the first time this season, fans will be on hand to cheer them home.

The trotting colts will square off in two C$99,800 Gold divisions and a trio of C$22,150 Grassroots Series divisions.

In the Gold Series contest, two of the competitors will carry the hopes of local owners. Royal Tyrone starts from post five in the first split for Ottawa resident R. William MacQuarrie’s 1187422 Ontario Inc. and Tokyo Seelster gets post four in the second division for Braveheart Racing principals Frank Spagnolo of Ottawa and Kenneth Donald of Nepean and their partners Michael and Sam Sergi of Canton, N.Y.

“We were very happy with his first start and hoping to build on that for sure, because he only had a limited amount of starts before that race,” said trainer Jason Ryan of Royal Tyrone. “He’s come back a lot stronger this year for sure and a little longer, so he’s not as rough gaited as he was as a 2-year-old. We’re just hoping for the best on Sunday.”

Royalty For Life son Royal Tyrone was a winner in the Gold Series at two before an injury cut his season short. Since returning to the racetrack in mid-June the gelding recorded one third and one fourth in overnight action and then benefitted from an error by one of his peers in the July 1 Gold Series opener at Woodbine Mohawk Park, getting bumped from fourth up to third. Leading Ontario Sires Stakes reinsman James MacDonald was in the race bike for the last two starts and will steer the gelding on Sunday.

“James (MacDonald) is getting along with him great, so that works out as well,” said Ryan. “Right now I think everybody wants him (MacDonald), but we were lucky enough to get him early before he got too hot.”

Just six horses will go postward in each Gold division. Among the rivals lining up alongside MacDonald and Royal Tyrone are reigning Super Final champion Fashion Frenzie at post one and Lexus Kody, who finished in between Fashion Frenzie and Royal Tyrone in the season opener, at post three.

Complete entries for Sunday’s program are available here and fans can download a program and watch the live stream on Rideau Carleton Raceway’s website.