from the Ontario Sire Stakes

Innisfil, ON — Reigning Lampman Cup champion Doug McNair earned his first Ontario Sires Stake hat trick of the season at Georgian Downs on Sunday evening (July 19).

The 25-year-old made his first trip to the Georgian Downs winner’s circle in the third of nine Grassroots divisions, guiding 2-year-old pacing filly Mattjestic Tempo to an impressive 1:54.3 score over Bad Lightning and Vermilion Bird. After sitting fourth for much of the mile, McNair tipped Mattjestic Tempo into the outer lane heading by the half and the Royal Mattjesty daughter sprinted home to a two length victory.

“She raced in the Gold last week and got a piece of it so I figured she had a big shot at winning,” said McNair of the Blake MacIntosh trainee. “That was a big mile tonight. It was really, really windy up here tonight; a big head wind.

“It was really windy down the backside, pretty much wore the ones on the front, and the ones first up, out,” added the reinsman. “The weather wasn’t as good as it looked on TV, that’s for sure.”

MacIntosh shares ownership of Mattjestic Tempo with Stuart McIntosh and Brett Authier. The partners anted up C$9,000 to acquire the daughter of $448,335 winner Daylon Tempo from last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale. With a runner-up finish in her career debut, her fifth-place result in the July 6 Gold event, and her Grassroots victory the filly has already earned $12,530.

One race later McNair was back in the winner’s circle, this time with a filly hammered down for $92,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale to owner-trainer Jack Darling. Starting from post seven, McNair and Life Book paced by the quarter pole in the outer lane, found a spot on the rail heading by the half and then were three-wide at the three-quarters before accelerating down the stretch to the half-length victory. Life Book stopped the Georgian Downs teletimer at 1:56.4, reeling in pacesetter Active Lady and favorite Miss Print.

“She went a pretty good trip too, she was three wide early,” said McNair. “I thought she may be third at the head of the stretch, but she mowed them down.”

The daughter of Shadow Play is out of $133,217 winner Give Me Life, who has already produced three $200,000-plus winners. Life Book made her debut in the July 9 Grassroots season opener at Mohawk Racetrack, finishing fifth.

McNair completed the driving hat trick with MacIntosh trainee Sports Expert, who captured her first lifetime start in 1:56.1, besting My Rhythm Of Rhyme and No Shadows. Starting from post one Sports Expert landed in third through the early going, and McNair sent her after the leader heading for the halfway marker, reaching the front before the 1:26.4 three-quarters.

“I didn’t want to drive her like that tonight, but I just got away in a bad spot — being first up and battling the one all the way down the backside — and she won pretty handy,” McNair said. “She’s going to be a pretty nice filly I think.”

MacIntosh, Touch Stone Farms and 30-Plus Stable purchased the Sportswriter filly, a full sister to last season’s multiple Gold Series winner Sporting The Look, from the Harrisburg sale for $20,000.

“I’m happy with the ones I’m driving,” said McNair. “I’ve got some nice ones.”

The other six divisions also featured some well-bred, talented fillies. Bourbon Seelster kicked things off, capturing the first division in 1:58.1 for driver Mike Saftic, trainer Robert Manders and owners Scott and Keith Manders. The Camluck miss — a C$14,000 yearling purchase from the Forest City Yearling Sale — bested Machioda and Icthelight Hanover.

Twin B Virtue and driver Jody Jamieson captured the second split, with a 1:56.2 effort, over Selling The Dream and Cracklin Rosie. It was the first lifetime start for the Badlands Hanover daughter, a C$30,000 purchase out of the Canadian Yearling Sale by trainer Dave Menary, Brad Gray and Michael Guerriero. The filly is out of $116,833 winner What An Attitude, who has already produced six $200,000-plus winners.

Dr. Ian Moore, Sally MacDonald, Paul MacDonald and Shirley Yeung offered $52,000 for Bold Amoretto at the Harrisburg sale, and the daughter of Big Jim and $1.2 million winner Armbro Amoretto captured her first Grassroots trophy on Sunday. The filly and driver Chris Christoforou hit the wire in 1:56.1, 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Boozer Bruiser and Jimmys Little Girl.

Sylvain Filion steered Mayhem Seelster to a 1:57.2 win over Noone To Depend On and Rosy Outlook in the sixth tilt. Tony O’Sullivan trains the Mach Three daughter for Domenic Chiaravalle, who selected her from the Forest City Yearling Sale for C$55,000.

Division eight went to Dewar N Soda and Mike Saftic, who went gate-to-wire in 1:56.1 for trainer Marcel Barrieau and owners Joseph Wilkie and Wayne MacRae. The daughter of Badlands Hanover and $233,166 winner Hasty Dewar was a $16,000 purchase at Harrisburg. Glorious Delight and Divas Image finished second and third.

Tempus Seelster and trainer-driver Travis Henry captured the final Grassroots trophy of the evening with a 1:55.3 effort, 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Heavenly Hill and Buttermilk Hanover. Benbar Stables, Glen Wark and Craig Wood share ownership of the daughter of Big Jim and The Patriot ($395,185), acquiring her for $10,000 from the Harrisburg sale.

The 2-year-old pacing fillies make their third Grassroots start at Clinton Raceway on Aug. 9.

Ontario Sires Stakes action keeps rolling at Georgian Downs, with three Gold Series divisions of 2-year-old trotting colts slated for Tuesday (July 21). The trotters are featured in races one, four, and eight on Tuesday’s program, which gets underway at 7:15 p.m.