from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Campbellville, ON — Mohawk Racetrack fans can get into the winner’s circle this Saturday (July 25) during the Ontario Sires Stakes “Be A Winner” contest.

The Campbellville oval hosts two Gold Series divisions for the 3-year-old pacing colts on Saturday and the second C$105,000 division will see a “Be A Winner” semi-finalist assigned to each horse. Each semi-finalist and one guest will be invited to tour the race paddock and watch the Gold Series colts battle from the winner’s circle, and the semi-finalist who was assigned to the winning horse will be able to join in the post-race celebrations. The victorious semi-finalist will also receive a digital copy of the winner’s circle photo, dinner for four during the Grassroots Championships at Mohawk on Sept. 26, and a $100 wagering voucher for the Sept. 26 program.

Hoping to greet the “Be A Winner” victor after the eighth race is Dr. Ian Moore, who will send out the division’s number three ranked colt Physicallyinclined. The Mach Three son and driver Paul MacDonell will start from post one, looking for their first Gold Series win after a pair of runner-up finishes in the first two legs.

“Hopefully his luck turns around this week,” said Moore. “He’s a very, very game, tough individual.

“And actually this will be one of the first times that he’s drew close to the rail in all his starts,” the trainer continued. “He’s been outside or in the middle in most all of them.”

Physicallyinclined boasts a sophomore record of four wins and two seconds through seven starts, with his biggest win to date coming in the North America Cup Consolation at Mohawk on June 20. Owners Bruce McGean and Sterling Feener have attended all the colt’s stakes starts and will be at Mohawk for Saturday’s Gold Series test, hoping to share their enthusiasm for Physicallyinclined with the successful “Be A Winner” contestant.

“He’s the only horse they have and they’re really, really excited,” said Moore. “North America Cup Consolation night we’re going up to the winner’s circle, and I went to shake Bruce’s hand and he’s crying. He said. ‘I can’t help it.’ He’s a real good guy and it’s nice to see people like that have success with their horses.”

In addition to Physicallyinclined, Moore will also send out Shoe Shine in the first Gold division. It will be the Shadow Play son’s Ontario Sires Stakes debut and Trevor Henry will steer him from post three in the sixth race.

“He’s been a surprise actually. He had a bad heel crack in one foot and we got that fixed up and it seemed to have made a big difference,” said Moore, who still spends his afternoons working at his veterinary practice. “Now I know it’s a little tougher in the Gold, but they wanted to try him and I was okay with that, so away we go on Saturday.”

Wayne Whebby and R G McGroup Ltd. share ownership of Shoe Shine and Whebby trained the colt before leaving him with Moore following his first Mohawk start on June 29. Since arriving in Ontario the pacer has posted three wins and one fourth in four outings, starting in non-winners of $7,000 and moving up to non-winners of $25,000.

“Both of those two colts have been pleasant surprises for all of us associated with them,” noted Moore. “So hopefully we have a little more luck.”

Fans who do not reach the semi-finals of the “Be A Winner” contest can still catch an Ontario Sires Stakes ball cap during the trackside hat toss, and the first 200 fans arriving for Saturday’s festivities can have an OSS T-shirt autographed by their favorite drivers.

The first race rolls in behind the Mohawk Racetrack starting gate at 7:25 p.m. on Saturday and the 3-year-old pacing colts will be featured in races six and eight.