Adare Castle takes revenge in $156,300 OSS Gold

Adare Castle (Muscle Mass) avenged her Jun. 6 loss with a strong harness racing victory in the $156,300 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold second leg for sophomore trotting fillies at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday (Jun. 30).

She marched on the outside throughout the opening quarter mile to take the lead at the first station in :27.2 and had a far easier route to the half in :57.1. Driver James MacDonald released her to three-quarters in 1:26 with no challenge in sight, and she trotted the final eighth under wraps to score by a length in 1:53.3.

Baby Longstocking provided pressure down the stretch but could do no more than take second. Mischievous Rose (Bob McClure) finished third. Saundra (Syvlain Filion), who defeated Adare Castle in the first leg, was fourth.

The winner was made favourite for her seventh straight start and paid $2.80 to win.

Mark Etsell has trained the filly to 10 wins in 13 career starts and a $691,774 bankroll to date. He co-owns her with Robert Newton of Walkerton, Graham Hopkins of Chesley, and Peter Porter of Dover. The filly is three-for-four this year, including a dominant performance in the SBOA Stakes. She was the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final champion in her division at two and has won five Ontario Sires Stakes Gold events to date.

In his fourth-place finish with Saundra, Filion surpassed $130,000,000 in career earnings. He has made 56,244 starts in a career that began in 1987.

The three-year-old trotting fillies will get another crack at Adare Castle on Jul. 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in the third leg. Super Final night is Oct. 15.

For complete Ontario Sires Stakes standings, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink