Stormont Mabel, Resolute Bay capture $60,000 Grassroots Finals

MILTON, October 1, 2022 – The winners of the $60,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Championships for sophomore harness racing trotting fillies and colts took totally different routes to the winner’s circle.

One had a textbook pocket trip while the other was parked just about every step of the mile tonight (Oct.1) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Stormont Mabel (Kadabra) was victorious in the filly’s test, a nine horse affair in race one with the scratch of Ladyflix.

Rose Run Xcentric, with Trevor Henry at the lines, grabbed the early lead and led the field by the opening quarter in 27.0. She remained in control past the :56.1 half with the rest of the fillies in single file behind her. That formation didn’t last.

36-1 longshot Saint Antoine with Scott Young in the bike, popped out from third and was closing in on the leader at the 1:25.1 third panel.

Saint Antoine took the lead in mid-stretch but was caught in the final steps by Stormont Mabel who reached the wire with a neck advantage in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.3 after Louis-Philippe Roy engineered the perfect pocket trip for the Garry Werner trainee.

“That’s a good record for her, so we are very happy with how she performed tonight,” said Werner. “It worked out well, she got a perfect trip, and Louis had a phenomenal drive. He just sat in the two hole with her and never really had to do a whole lot of the hard work until halfway down the lane.”

The top three finishers were all sired by the late Kadabra as Saint Antoine was second and Hershey Seelster grabbed the show spot. The favourite Hang On Baby and Muscle Up The Gold took the last two cheques.

This was the first start for Stormont Mabel with Merner listed as trainer. Desiree Jones was the filly’s trainer of record for all of her prior starts and Merner was quick to credit Jones and explain the conditioner change.

“I was very happy with how she raced, but to be honest with you I can’t really take any credit for that mare,” said Merner. “Desiree Jones trained her down at two and three and brought this filly along. Desiree went to Lexington early last week to focus on yearlings, so she asked me if I’d take her and train her for the week, and that’s pretty much all I can take credit for. All I did was get her to the track.”

A homebred for Stormont Meadows of Long Sault, Ont., Stormont Mabel improved her 2022 record to 3-4-3 in 16 tries for $77,000 in earnings. Tonight’s effort shaved a full three seconds off her previous best time. Mabel finished ninth in the Grassroots point standings and paid $18.70 to win.

“We are just happy with the way everything went, and the connections seemed like they were pretty happy, so it’s been a successful night,” concluded Merner.

Eric Baker’s Stormont Meadows’ raised colts and fillies have raced in the OSS for many years. They also had another starter in this contest, Mabel’s former stablemate Stormont Molly who was the leading point earner in this Grassroots division, but she wound up eighth in the final.

Roy drove Stormont Mabel earlier this summer, including in her only other OSS victory this year, at Mohawk in early June. He was impressed by how she’d improved since the last time he sat behind her.

“I think the connections did a pretty good job getting her ready for tonight. Sometimes she would need a little more down the stretch, and she wasn’t giving you what she gave me today. I just told Gary, she just found another gear in the stretch that she didn’t used to have. I was impressed and happy with her,” he praised.

As for the trip he noted: “When I got her on Youngy’s helmet she just found another gear, and from there I was confident that she was going to go by. That’s a big mile, the track crew have been doing a good job, the track is very nice tonight.”

Stormont Mabel is the second foal of Tamasin Hall, who earned just over $100,000 in her career. Her first foal, AP Hall Of Trix, a winner of $150,000+ to date in his career, also raced today, finishing fourth at Pocono. Her immediate family includes many top OSS trotters including Hall of Famer Bridger, along with Mombasa, and Brisco Herbert.

The colts’ contest, race eight, saw favourite Warrawee Xalt make a break in the first turn to take himself out of contention while Resolute Bay (Resolve), with James MacDonald at the controls, overcame just seeing the rail for a couple of seconds in the race to win impressively.

As the wings folded many of the sophomores were vying for the lead and Sylvain Filion had Renegade Gypsy in that position at the first quarter in :26.4.

Radio Lab and Ed Hensley took over the front well before the :55.4 half but Renegade Gypsy retook before the 1:25.4 three-quarters.

Down the stretch though it was Resolute Bay with the most trot and he won going away in 1:54.1 despite the trip. Archery Seelster, Renegade Gypsy, Kipper Whipr Snipr and Ima Standup Guy were next across.

“It’s hard to jostle for position, especially from the outside,” explained MacDonald. “He got out of there good but everybody was leaving and there was nothing to be had. I was three wide past the quarter, I got in for a step but I had to go again. I said ‘well maybe he’ll get some money but there’s no way he can win off this trip.’ He came off the turn and just blew by. He’s really racing so good right now hopefully he stays with this form.”

It was the fifth straight win for the striking chestnut gelding owned by The Stable Resolute Bay and trained by Harry Poulton. Resolute Bay upped his lifetime bankroll over $110,000 with tonight’s victory.

“Early in the year he showed flashes of quick speed but not the durability,” said MacDonald. “The last two weeks, it’s been scary big miles and still going forward at the wire, I couldn’t believe the mile he went tonight.”

MacDonald’s brother Anthony and his wife Amy operate TheStable.ca which is enjoying a great year.

“It’s a really good barn and good group of owners, fortunately for me that means a lot of nice horses to drive. Anthony and Amy have done a terrific job,” said MacDonald. “Everyone who works for The Stable works hard and puts the hours in and the results are showing on the track,”

It was MacDonald’s second Grassroots Final win of the night for the barn having won earlier on the card with Nothingbutadreamer also trained by Poulton.

To read about all of the 2022 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Finals and view the replays, click here.

For complete race results, click here.