by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Campbellville, ON — Lyons Danny fulfilled his promise as the 3-5 favorite on Sunday night (July 12) in his C$40,000 division of the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations for 2-year-old pacing colts, but longshots Mach Dreamer and Grinformoney surprised in the other two divisions at Mohawk.

In the first of the three OSS contests, Dan Daley sent his homebred Daleys Interest to the early lead with Tigers Mattjesty following close behind. By the three-eighth pole, Paul MacDonell engineered a takeover with Tigers Mattjesty, but their lead lasted only moments before Sonic Seelster and Randy Waples muscled their way to the top. Favorite McMaverick, with Steve Condren at the lines, briefly took command in the stretch, but it was Mach Dreamer, coming from the outside who triumphed by a head at the wire for Luc Ouellette in 1:55.1. McMaverick hung on for second with Tigers Mattjesty, on the inside, taking the show spot.

Mach Dreamer, a 2-year-old son of Mach Three, out of the Jenna’s Beach Boy mare Boy Meets Girl, is a homebred owned by Steven Scharff. Murray Brethour trains the colt, who had two previous starts at Mohawk and Kawartha Downs, and broke his maiden with the win.

Lyons Danny said catch me if you can in the second OSS split, and though several tried, none could overtake the Astreos son as he turned in a sharp 1:53.1 winning effort for Jack Moiseyev. Future Million and Simon Allard, who pursued Lyons Danny through the stretch, settled for second, 1-1/2 lengths back, with Brusiers Brother (Rick Zeron) moving up from the backfield for third.

Shawn Robinson trains Lyons Danny, who is now perfect in three lifetime starts for owner Joseph Lyons Mound. The colt shaved three full seconds off his previous best clocking with the effort.

New Image Media photo

Grin For Money upset at 16-1 odds in his OSS Gold elimination.

The lead changed hands several times in the third and final OSS elim, with Medoland Big Cam (Jason Brewer) fastest off the gate but soon relinquishing his advantage to Adrenaline (Rick Zeron). Adrenaline was then almost immediately overtaken by second favorite Toughest Of All (Paul MacDonell) at the half-mile marker. The 8-5 favorite Wellthereyougo (Randy Waples) was sent on the hunt by the pole, with Toughest Of All hanging tough on the front end and Adrenaline looking for room on the inside but in the final strides, Sylvain Filion made an electrifying move on the far outside with Grin For Money, from far in the backfield, to pull off the 16-1 upset in 1:54.2, with a :26.2 final panel. Wellthereyougo settled for second, with Adrenaline third.

John Kopas trains Grin For Money, by Grinfromeartoear out of the Falcon Seelster mare Our Inheritance. This was the colt’s second lifetime start, and first win, for the Grin For Money Stable.

This is the field for next Sunday, July 19’s C$130,000 OSS Gold final:

Horse-Driver-Trainer
McMaverick-Steve Condren-Bob McIntosh
Brusiers Brother-Rick Zeron-Louie Eftimiadis
Lyons Danny-Jack Moiseyev-Shawn Robinson
Tigers Mattjesty-Paul MacDonell-Des Tackoor
Grin For Money-Sylvain Filion-John Kopas
Daleys Interest-Dan Daley-Dan Daley
Mach Dreamer-Luc Ouellette-Murray Brethour
Future Million-Simon Allard-Donald Lowes
Wellthereyougo-Randy Waples-Dr. Ian Moore
Adrenaline-Rick Zeron-Louie Eftimiadis