by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Campbellville, ON — Mystic River chose an auspicious occasion to break her maiden as she captured Mohawk’s first Ontario Sires Stakes C$130,000 Gold final of the season, for 3-year-old trotting fillies, on Sunday (May 17).

New Image Media photo

Mystic River romped past trotters in the stretch to win the OSS Gold Final.

Sent off at 30-1, Mystic River and linesman Jody Jamieson bided their time in the back of the field, while Chris Christoforou and Butana emerged from the starting scrimmage to set the early fractions. Randy Waples tucked Mets Inn into the pocket spot, with Steve Condren and Cuddler third, but by the first quarter marker in :27.3 Cuddler angled out to overtake, and Butana spun into a gallop to take herself out of the action.

The field stepped through the half in :57.2 before Daylon Mystique, with trainer Wayne Henry in the bike, rolled up to seize the lead and promptly opened up a two length lead, with Randy Waples and Mets Inn settling into second.

As the fillies entered the stretch, it was still Daylon Mystique trail-blazing, with Mets Inn fighting off a lukewarm challenge from favored Cumin First (Rick Zeron). But in the final eighth of a mile, fillies were suddenly six-wide across the track, all vying for the lead, with 30-1 shot Mystic River surging to a three-quarter length victory in 1:57.3 over the out-of-nowhere SOS Respect (Sylvain Filion) and Magic Sassy (Luc Ouellette). Mets Inn was fourth.

“She finished off last year with a 1:57 qualifier and she was good her first start here last week,” said trainer Kevin O’Reilly of his winning filly. “She just got sick a couple of times last year at the wrong time. Now she’s a year older, she’s a bit stronger and healthier, and she does want to do it.

“I think she can be very handy here in the Ontario Sires Stakes,” he added. “She’s got the desire to do it. We’ll see what happens. She’s staked out pretty good, but we’ll take it race by race.”

Mystic River is a daughter of Kadabra, out of the Malabar Man mare, Celebrity Belle. This was her first win in eight lifetime starts for owners Christopher Ryder, Deena Rachel Frost, and Max Wernick.

Colt trotters contest OSS Gold elims

Hitithard, Parlay and I Won’t Dance all posted victories in their respective C$40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters.

In the opening contest, Hitithard used off-the-pace tactics to post a mild upset for driver Jody Jamieson in 1:57.4, the fastest of the three splits. The son of Mr Lavec-Donaver rallied from fifth at the half to score a half-length decision over Equity with Striking Lindsey landing the show spot.

It was the first win in two outings this season for Hitithard and the winner’s share of the purse boosted his career earnings to just over C$97,000 for trainer John Ciarpelli and owners Anne Della Maestra and Faye Antoniou.

Parlay rebounded from his first career loss in the April 23 Tie Silk Final to score in the opening split in 1:58.3. The son of Kadabra-Speedy Shasta went straight to the front for driver Jack Moiseyev and was able to wire the field by 1-1/4 lengths over Zero Boundaries and Senator Hall.

“He went real good, got pretty easy fractions but you never really know in the wind. He was real strong at the end,” said winning driver Jack Moiseyev. “He’s about 99 percent (the Parlay from the first four career starts). He’s almost there. His attitudes real good, he wants to go.”

The victory was the fifth in six lifetime starts for Parlay who is owned by trainer Ricky MacPhee along with Harris O’Brien and Robby Wiratmo. The win vaulted him to just under C$70,000 in lifetime earnings.

I Won’t Dance also posted a gate-to-wire victory in the final elimination for driver Trevor Ritchie, stopping the clock in 1:58.1. The gelded son of Angus Hall-Do Si Do Hanover turned back Breewood Gringo and Lexis Amigo in notching his second win in just three starts this season.

“He had some soundness problems and a little attitude problem,” said trainer Per Henriksen who inherited the trotter after two previous trainers failed to get him qualified. “We got him up in the country and kept on working with him and it paid off. He’s still learning and he could learn to go with some really good horses.”

I Won’t Dance is owned by the M Biasuzzi Stable Inc. of Ft. Pierce, Florida.

The C$130,000 final goes postward next Sunday night (May 24) at Mohawk. Here is a look at the field in post position order:

1. I Won’t Dance
2. Senator Hall
3. Striking Lindsey
4. Lexis Amigo
5. Breewood Gringo
6. Zero Boundaries
7. Structure Fire
8. Hitithard
9. Equity
10. Parlay

— Greg Blanchard also contributed to this report