Race replays can be watched on Woodbine Mohawk Park’s YouTube channel by clicking here.

Milton, ON – Woodbine Mohawk Park hosted eight C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Finals on Saturday night (Oct. 15).

What a Lady, What a Night in the Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly Super Final

It’s not often that show wagering is barred for a large field of 2-year-old filly trotters. But that’s exactly how the C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final played out Saturday (Oct. 15) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Righteous Resolve and driver Paul MacDonell win the $225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final on October 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. New Image Media Photo.

Prohibitive 1-9 favorite Righteous Resolve is Canada’s fastest 2-year-old trotter of 2022, taking her 1:53.1 record in the Champlain Stakes at the Milton oval on Sep. 15, and once again she proved the class of the division tonight.

Scott Zeron and Cardio Muscle made the front early, launching from the outside post to circle Its Your Choice and James MacDonald before the first turn.

Mass Hysteria and Trevor Henry left from post nine and followed from third, just ahead of the star filly Righteous Resolve who Paul MacDonell settled in nicely from post three.

Cardio Muscle led to the :27.2 opening quarter but had no answer when the first-over Righteous Resolve came calling and smoothly sailed past, leading the way to the :56.3 half.

Louis-Philippe Roy sent Shiny New Penny first to tip on the turn for home, emerging from sixth and flushing out Mass Hysteria from fourth.

But MacDonell’s filly was never headed as she reached three-quarters in 1:26 and continued with confidence down the stretch. Mass Hysteria left the loose pocket to chase the favorite, as Its Your Choice and Shiny New Penny battled behind her for show.

At the wire, Righteous Resolve finished 2-1/2 lengths ahead of Mass Hysteria in a 1:54.4 mile. Its Your Choice finished third, ahead of Shiny New Penny.

In the winner’s circle, MacDonell said Righteous Resolve ranked right up there among the best young trotters he’s driven.

“I mean, she’s so professional in everything she does and she makes my job real easy, so she’s way up there in the top echelon of trotting fillies, for sure,” said MacDonell. “My job is just to keep her out of trouble and make sure we have a clear path and no nonsense, and that’s what I try to do, try to keep her quiet and just let her do the rest, and she does it.”

Leading 2022 OSS trainer John Bax reflected on his stable’s seasonal success.

“We’re real proud of the year we got. A lot of horses have made good money and that’s hard to do. I mean, a lot of years, you’re lucky to get one, so we’re pretty blessed this year.” He said that the filly’s owners’ decision to bypass the Mohawk Million was “a testament to the owners like Roy [Maxwell] who are looking after what’s best for the horse…Hopefully for their sake and our sake, it pays out in the long run.”

Righteous Resolve (Resolve-Motown Muscle) is owned by Bet Max Stables Inc., Casco, MI and Benenati Inc., Clinton Township, MI., and she now has C$536,224 in earnings, $290,675 of which have come in the OSS.

Before leaving the packed winner’s circle, Roy Maxwell, a partner in Bet Max Stable, described the experience of owning the filly phenom, who has been defeated just once in nine starts.

“It’s unbelievable. You don’t expect something like this to come along, but when it comes around, you sure enjoy it,” said Maxwell. “What a lady, what a night.”

by Mel Keith for Ontario Racing

Say Cheese: Smiles All Around in Freshman Pacing Filly Super Final

Cheesy Smile was the leading point earner in the 2-year-old pacing filly division this season and she kept her name at the top of the list with a resounding win in the C$225,0000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Cheesy Smile and driver Bob McClure charge down the lane to win the C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Oct.15. New Image Media Photo.

“I thought I had the best filly in the race. I’m happy that she’s the one coming home with me,” said trainer and co-owner John Pentland.

As the race got underway, it was Savethelastdance and James MacDonald rocketing from post 10 to the lead and opening up several lengths on the field as they passed the opening marker in :26.1.

MacDonald was just a passenger as the Bettors Delight miss hit the half in :53.4 and the three-quarters in 1:22.

Sitting patiently in sixth at the half with Cheesy Smile Bob McClure rolled his charge out before the three-quarter pole and down the stretch the wicked fractions took their toll on Savethelastdance allowing fresher fillies to pounce. Cheesy Smile took full advantage and hit the wire first in 1:51.1 and paid $4.40 for the win.

“I felt she was the best coming in. (She has) a high turn of speed, I don’t think there’s one, speed wise, that can go with her,” said McClure. “John’s just kept her so good and she was peaking. She’s also a sweetheart to drive, I like that.”

Big Big Plans closed well to take second with Freshen Up third. Savethelastdance held on for fourth with Lyons Bettorday collecting the final check.

Cheesy Smile improved her summary to 5-2-0 in 10 freshman starts and upped her earnings to over C$316,000 for Pentland and partners Cindy Molyneux (Sparta, ON), Peter Charlton (St. Thomas, ON) and Archie Leach (London, ON).

“One thing about her, you don’t have to worry about being too far back because of her high turn of speed,” said Pentland. “When they were blazing fractions (early) that just couldn’t have worked out any better.”

The filly was second in her last time out at the Gold level and showed well against open stakes competition at Mohawk in September.

“I was expecting a good performance. Who knows how the race sets up, anything can happen,” said Pentland. “I’ve had a lot of disappointments in the Super Finals over the years so this is maybe a little vindication. It felt awfully good.”

The win will cap off the freshman filly’s campaign.

“That’s it,” said Pentland. “She wasn’t paid into the Breeders Crown, so we’ll call it a season. She’s going away healthy; we couldn’t be happier about that.”

Pentland’s co-owners were at the racetrack in matching Cheesy Smile t-shirts and it was a thrill for the group to experience stakes success for the first time as owners.

“It’s been wonderful from the start when we bought her in Harrisburg,” explained co-owner Charlton. “We all went down with John and picked her out. It’s just so satisfying to see it all come to fruition tonight. It’s just a wonderful ownership group. We couldn’t ask for anything better and John as the trainer has been a dream come true.”

They have been at the track for all of her races this season and had steady nerves for the big night.

“I wasn’t that nervous tonight because I know John’s going to have her ready,” said Charlton. “He talked all week about how she’s peaking at the right time. I was confident, more confident tonight than any other race.”

Bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock of New York, Cheesy Smile sold for $38,000 at last year’s Harrisburg sale. She is the fourth foal from her dam, Frame Worthy, who is a daughter of the $1.2 million winner Hana Hanover.

by Heather Mackay Roberts for Ontario Racing

French Connections On Point in Gold Super Final for Freshman Male Trotters

The second Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final event of the Woodbine Mohawk Park Saturday night (Oct. 15) card was a war of the noses, as a pair of 2-year-old male trotters were nearly inseparable at the wire.

DWs Point Man comes up the outside to win the C$225,000 Gold Super Final for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings. New Image Media Photo.

DWs Point Man, and Louis-Philippe Roy got the first call, but quickly settled in behind fast-leaving Snowpiercer from post eight driven by Paul MacDonell, as several rivals went off stride in the early going.

Osceola and Doug McNair tightened up in third, and Deadline Hall and Chris Christoforou followed from single-file fourth to the :27.4 opening quarter.

From first over, Osceola sprinted to the front nearing the :57.1 half; as Oh Look Magic gained steadily from second-over sixth, making it up to third as the stretch loomed.

Osceola reached three-quarters in 1:25.3, then suddenly went off stride coming off the turn, allowing Snowpiercer to inherit the lead.

DWs Point Man stepped out to take his shot from third, as late-charging Passarino urged on by James MacDonald took on Deadline Hall. Photos were required to decide both win and show at the end of the 1:55.1 mile. DWs Point Man prevailed at 9/2 odds in a very tight decision over Snowpiercer.

After the race, Louis-Philippe Roy said he wasn’t sure he passed MacDonell’s colt in time.

“I would say 10 feet before the wire, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t get there,” said Roy. “I felt like Snowpiercer just gave up very, very late there, and mine just kept trotting and never really gave up. I didn’t really know if I had got there in time or not.”

As for winning strategy in a race with multiple breakers, Roy said familiarity with OSS rivals was the best advantage.

“If you have too much in mind, I feel like that’s when you make mistakes,” said Roy. “You go in there, you know the horses; you’ve been racing against them. For example: Snowpiercer, I was following him in the last Gold. I was in the three-hole and he was on front and he looked a little lost [and] almost pulled up …So following him today, I knew that he might do that, getting out on the first turn, and I wasn’t going to panic. I just wanted a good trip for my horse tonight.”

It was DWs Point Man’s fifth seasonal victory in 10 starts and a new lifetime mark.

The My MVP – Yankeedoodlecandy gelding was bred by Jeffrey Ruch of Innisfil, ON, and began the year at Saratoga Raceway before capturing his OSS Gold debut on Aug. 12 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

He is trained by Richard Moreau for owners Ecurie Csl and 9174 7998 Quebec, Inc., Sorel-Tracy, QC.

“I got the best out of it. I got a two-hole trip,” said Moreau. “I was hoping for a check, but the biggest thrill was when [Hall of Fame driver/racing analyst] Randy Waples said that he knew the other horse [Snowpiercer] did win, and then they announced that mine had won. That was a big stress relief.”

Moreau said he is happy for the connections of DWs Point Man.

“The owner invests lots in this and it paid back, you know,” said Moreau. “I imagine he will spend the winter in Quebec, at his owner’s farm, and hopefully we go from there. The season is over now, I think. He deserves a break.”

Full results from Oct. 15, 2022, at Woodbine Mohawk Park

by Mel Keith for Ontario Racing

Mischievous Rose Upsets in Sophomore Trotting Fillies Final

The third race of the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final saw the series finale’s second straight upset winner, with Mischievous Rose besting the heavily favored Adare Castle.

Mischievous Rose wins the C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final on Oct. 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. New Image Media Photo.

The 3-year-old trotting fillies finale came down to the wire, with the victor pulling ahead of the odds-on favorite in deep stretch.

“In a sprint duel, I really like (Mischievous Rose’s) chances there and she was on top of her game tonight,” driver Louis-Philippe Roy said after the race.

The victory by the trainee of Luc Blais, who lives in Campbellville, ON, sends the winner’s share of the C$225,000 purse the way of Montreal-based Determination stable, owned by Serge Godin. Mischievous Rose paid $10.70 for the win.

Adare Castle, the heavily bet favorite, led the race through each of its first three quarters.

Driven by James MacDonald of Guelph, ON and trained Mark Etsell of Rockwood, ON, the champion filly had won 14 of the 20 races in her career.

Adare Castle set opening quarters of :28.3 and :58.1, and the daughter of Muscle Mass, extended her lead entering the third panel, while the eventual victor trailed two spots behind in the single file pack.

Just after the three-quarter mark, which was clocked at 1:26.2, Mischievous Rose moved from third place along the pylons behind Baby Longstocking and the leader.

The upset winner trotted a :26.4 final quarter, overtaking Adare Castle in deep stretch. Mischievous Rose’s 1:54 winning time is the fastest in her career.

Roy explained after the race that the way it unfolded was to the benefit of Mischievous Rose.

“I know my filly, she can sprint a lot,” the driver who lives in Mississauga, ON said. “I think in the long term, Adare Castle … seems like she never gets tired. (I thought) if we got a shot maybe tonight — if it’s a sprint down the lane — that maybe it could help us, and it did.”

The Super Final victory was Mischievous Rose’s second ever Ontario Sires Stakes Gold win and first in 2022. She had one second-place finish and was third three times in her five OSS starts this season.

Mischievous Rose’s career mark improves to 4-7-5 from 22 starts and she now has C$422,457 in career earnings with just over half coming from her Ontario Sires Stakes finishes.

Just before driving the upset winner of the third Super Final, Roy did the same in the second race of the evening, urging Dws Point Man to victory.

by Charlie Pinkerton for Ontario Racing

Clan Christoforou Conducts Upset in Sophomore Trotters Super Final

Safe Conduct, close in many of his recent Ontario Sire Stakes contests put it all together at exactly the right moment, closing strongly to win the C$225,000 Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final for his 3-year-old trotting males group at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday (Oct. 15).

Safe Conduct wins the C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park Saturday. New Image Media.

The gelded son of Archangel, starting from post eight in the field of 10 and sent off at 10-1 odds driven by Chris Christoforou got away cleanly and tucked in sixth as the early pace was disputed by Unevergonnagethis and Duly Resolved through a :26.3 quarter on the cool night.

Duly Resolved finally claimed the pacesetter’s spot midway down the backstretch, and the even-money favorite looked like he might be tough after getting to the half in a relatively soft :56.1.

The outer tier lined up approaching the far turn, with first-over Tymal Tiggs followed by Twin B Archie, the second choice and last year’s winner of the Super Final for this group, with Safe Conduct in an optimal spot to follow cover third-over.

The three-quarters was reached in 1:25.1, still relatively moderate, with Duly Resolved still on top.

Horses began to fan out all over the track coming off the final turn, while Duly Resolved soon showing it wasn’t to be his night.

Twin B Archie looked well-placed, and he did have some closing kick, but not nearly as much as Safe Conduct, who was sent four-wide and quickly flashed the highest gear to win by just over a length in 1:53.3, missing his own lifetime mark by a fifth.

Sea Can, let go at 120-1, was near the back at the top of the long Mohawk stretch, then found both good strides and a forward-moving path behind Safe Conduct, finishing second after the winner had just gotten too good a jump; Twin B Archie continued on to be third.

Safe Conduct is a family horse, with the family firmly planted in Campbellville, ON, Woodbine Mohawk’s location. Patriarch Charalambos Christoforou bred the horse in partnership with Toronto’s Banjo Farms, and he owns the horse with Irvann Holdings Inc., also of Toronto, ON.

Chris’ wife, Camilla Christoforou, is the horse’s trainer. Safe Conduct has hit the board in 11 of 13 seasonal starts, including his fourth victory in this most important outing, and he has career earnings of C$302,200.

Informed that his horse paid $22.20 to win, Chris Christoforou expressed surprise after the race:

“I would have thought he would have been 4-1, 5-1, as well as he had been racing,” said Christoforou. “He’s been very good, and he just hasn’t had the right luck sometimes – I thought he had a chance to win at London last week (where he finished third after traffic issues). Going around the last turn, I was watching the ‘body language’ of all the horses around me, and I was smiling – I knew my horse was stronger than the others looked.”

The win finishes the gelding’s OSS career with a flourish.

“I think that he could develop into a free-for-all trotter at four and beyond,” said Christoforou. “He’s been brought along carefully and not over raced, and he has developed well and can continue to develop.”

The $2 exacta of 8-10 combining Safe Conduct and Sea Can paid $1,176.90, and anybody with a correct ticket having Twin B Archie third, or Archie third and 30-1 Esplosione fourth earned $10,301.10 and $19,611.25, respectively.

Stockade Seelster Sensational In Super Final

Stockade Seelster stamped himself as one of the best 2-year-old pacing colts in the history of the Ontario Sires Stakes with another impressive performance in Saturday night’s C$225,000 Gold Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Stockade Seelster and Jody Jamieson continue their incredible season by winning the C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final on Oct. 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. New Image Media Photo.

Jody Jamieson had the son of State Treasurer away third in the early going and watched Moment Is Here pace by the opening quarter in :26.3.

Jamieson pulled on the right line just past that point and was comfortably on top at the :54.2 half. Stockade Seelster opened up a couple of lengths by the 1:22 three-quarters and simply could not be caught down the lane as he hit the wire in 1:50.1, paying $2.30 for the win.

Santana Hanover (Big Jim) was second followed by Sounds Good (Bettors Delight). Moment Is Here and Write Me A Rose were next across.

“You put C$200,000 on the line and we’re going to race for it and we did,” said Jamieson. “It just goes to show he’s a great horse and I can ride as fast as he can go. There’s really no end to him. He was a little tired, he’d been off three weeks. Doc (Moore) had him great tonight.”

Stockade Seelster now has eight wins in nine starts this year. His lone loss was a third-place finish in the Metro Pace elimination.

He returned the following week to win the C$900,000 Metro Pace final, defeating many of the top Grand Circuit freshman pacing colts. He ends the year undefeated in five OSS starts, four Gold events at Mohawk and the Super Final.

Bred by Seelster Farms, Stockade was purchased as a yearling for C$45,000 by Sally Macdonald of PEI and her nephew Paul Macdonald of Toronto who were quite familiar with his sire State Treasurer having owned him throughout his racing career.

They purchased State Treasurer as a yearling for a mere C$6,500 and he went on to win over $2 million. Dr. Ian Moore trained State Treasurer, who stands stud at Seelster Farms. He also handles Stockade Seelster.

“I was concerned that he may be a little short tonight,” said Moore. “It’s very difficult with a 2-year-old late in the year especially when you consider that he’s had the harness on for one year now, he started in October of last year. You wouldn’t do that with an aged horse.

“I gave him a whole week off and then we jogged him one week. Jody trained him on the Friday when I was down in PEI for my daughter’s wedding and we trained him again on Thursday this week,” said Moore. “So, I was concerned and maybe that’s why the last quarter wasn’t so quick but he got the job done and hopefully should be ready for the Breeders Crown, that’s our next step.”

As for the Breeders Crown, eliminations start next weekend at the Campbellville, ON oval, Doc says:

“It’s getting late, that’s nine starts now, 10 is a good number for me. He seemed good tonight and if he comes out of it fine on Monday or Tuesday when I jog him then we’ll put in for the Breeders Crown and we’re looking forward to it.”

Allan Macdonald, Sally’s husband, commented:

“It’s unbelievable, my wife always called State Treasurer a horse of a lifetime but it kind of looks like maybe we’ve done it again. It’s incredible, just incredible to be here and see what he’s done, he’s a really nice colt. I was extremely nervous here tonight because he had the three week layoff. He stepped up, we’re very proud of him.”

by Heather MacKay Roberts for Ontario Racing

Cold Creek Queso Finishes Season Hot to Earn Super Final Glory

Standardbred owner Dan Walker of Cold Creek Standardbred in Grafton got a phone call from his trainer, Murray Brethour of Sunderland, about a week after Walker acquired a yearling in the late fall of 2020.

Cold Creek Queso and Sylvain Filion cross the line first in the C$225,000 glamour boys OSS Super Final on Oct. 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. New Image Media Photo.

On Saturday night (Oct. 15) Walker remembered, “Murray calls me and says, “You know what you’ve got here with this colt? It’s good!’”

In his C$225,000 Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final for 3-year-old pacing males at Woodbine Mohawk on Saturday, Brethour showed his handicapping was pretty good as well, as the Betterthancheddar gelding Cold Creek Queso, exploded to a 5-1/4 length victory at the expense of a good field in a solid 1:50, two weeks after he won his most recent Ontario Sire Stakes Gold event in 1:48.3 under more favorable conditions for a fast mile.

The 4-5 public choice off that big win, Cold Creek Queso was forwardly-placed early by driver Sylvain Filion, sitting third as Kolby Two Step took the lead away from Magical Arthur just after a :26.4 quarter. Filion had plenty of horse in front of him and decided to take matters into his own hands, pulling his charge to the outside and making the lead late on the backstretch, approaching a moderate half-mile of :55.

After that fairly soft work assignment in the first half of the race, Cold Creek Queso had more than enough to finish out the task at hand, reaching the three-quarters in 1:23, with longshot Century Inspector tiring after having to challenge without cover, and second choice Ron poised on that one’s back and ready to gain wide.

But nobody was gaining on Cold Creek Queso down the Mohawk stretch on this night, as Filion was just a passenger as the 3-year-old expanded his lead seemingly with every step.

Betterhavemymoney launched a sharp rally on the far outside late to just catch Ron for second money, giving sire Betterthancheddar a 1-2 finish in the glamour boys division of the Ontario program.

Cold Creek Queso was a surprise winner at age 2 in the OSS Grassroots Championship and continued to improve from 2 to 3. As he has developed, so has his bankroll, which now sits at C$246,152 for 2022 and C$296,164 lifetime.

Sylvain Filion of Milton, ON, a member of one of world harness racing’s leading families based in Quebec, noted after the race that

“This horse is very easy to drive – you can race him from behind or in front, and he always shows up.”

Asked about his tactical trip this evening, Filion said,

“I moved him to the lead down the back(stretch), and once we got the lead he started to get a little lazy on me, so I popped out his earplugs (which restrict incoming noise; when popped out via an attached string, the horse gets the signal to increase his effort). He was good and strong after that – he took right off.”

Cold Creek Queso was bred by Debora Stokes, also of Grafton, ON, the corresponding secretary for Cold Creek Standardbred.

Silver Label Bests Stablemate for Super Final Revenge

A showdown of stablemates in the C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final for 3-year-old pacing fillies saw the favorite bested by another for the first time.

Silver Label defeats stablemate Prohibition Legal in the C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final on Oct. 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. New Image Media Photo.

In the fifth Super Final race on Saturday night (Oct. 15) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Silver Label used a strong final quarter to pick surge to victory.

The top three picks in the race — Silver Label, Velvet Stinger and favorite Prohibition Legal — are homebred stablemates of George Millar, of Stouffville, ON.

They’re all trained by Nick Gallucci, also of Stouffville, ON. Doug McNair of Guelph, ON drove the Super Final-winning horse.

While Silver Label and Prohibition Legal finished one-two, Velvet Stinger was seventh.

Prohibition Legal piloted by James MacDonald was in the lead by the :26.3-second one-quarter mark, while Silver Label was steered into the pocket as they continued to the half in :54.4.

“The speed was on the outside of it, so I figured I’d try to take advantage and try to grab a hold of the front as early as I could,” said McNair. “I figured James would be on the move and (Prohibition Legal) is a nice filly to follow, so she got us to the promised land.”

Silver Label and Balance, who finished in fourth, jockeyed for pocket positioning for much of the race’s third quarter.

Prohibition Legal led at the 1:23.1 third-quarter pole, appearing poised to win her second straight Super Final. Then, early in the home stretch, McNair angled his filly and overtook her stablemate.

Silver Label went on to a single-length victory in a time of 1:50.2, a new lifetime mark.

“Legal just didn’t really find her home the way I was thinking. But all the credit goes to Silver Label and Doug,” said Nick Gallucci the trainer of the 1-2 finishers.

The daughter of Bettors Delight claimed the large part of the C$225,000 purse, paying $8.10 in the process.

The Super Final score puts Silver Label’s lifetime winnings over C$770,000.

Six of those wins, and more than C$430,000 of that prize money, has come in 12 races this season.

Silver Label compiled a record of 3-1-0 in six OSS starts this year.

Millar was asked after the Super Final if there was one of the horses he preferred over the others.

“You know what, they’re all my favorite. I mean, I love them all,” said Millar.

Both the victorious Silver Label and her runner-up stablemate are expected to be in the field in next week at Woodbine Mohawk Park for Breeders Crown eliminations.

by Charlie Pinkerton for Ontario Racing

Full results from Oct. 15, 2022, at Woodbine Mohawk Park