News and notes from the OSS on Victoria Day Weekend

The Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) got into the Victoria Day (May 23) spirit this weekend with plenty of fireworks on its opening weekend of harness racing.

Bax with Training Double in Grassroots Opener

 Matt Bax sent out a pair of odds-on favourites in the four Grassroots divisions for three-year-old male trotters on Sunday May 21 at Flamboro Downs and both proved worthy of the public’s support.

Resolve to Win (Resolve) was sent off at 1-5 in the $21,800 race 3 with Scott Young in the bike.

Young sat back as two trotters battling for the early lead went off-stride, and when he moved from third with the gelding it was an emphatic charge that put his horse eight lengths ahead of the nearest challenger when the wire came.

Owned by Bax Stable, Brad Grant, Gaelic Stable, and Sharon and Don Allensen Resolve To Win now has over $60,000 on his card from 11 starts, with $40,000 of that coming in the OSS.

RESOLVE TO WIN REPLAY

In race 9, Deadline Hall was the 1-2 first choice and while he followed the script of sitting off the early lead, this time Bax was in the bike. When he moved to the front The Great Reset proved very game battling all the way to the line and Deadline Hall won by a neck in a thriller.

“I’m happy with how both of them handled Flamboro,” said Bax. “They raced tough. It looks like the three-year-old colts Grassroots is going to be very competitive this year.”

Deadline Hall is owned by Bax Stable, Steve Organ, and Rick Heinz. He is approaching $100,000 in career earnings and over $77,000 of that coming in the OSS.

DEADLINE HALL REPLAY

The Hazleton (Muscle Mass) won the first Grassroots race of 2023 with a three-length score in the $22,000 race one for trainer Mark Etsell.

Bob McClure piloted The Hazleton to his fifth career win and first visit to the OSS winner’s circle to push him over $60,000 in earnings for Etsell and co-owners Terry Devos, Graham Hopkins, and Peter Porter.

THE HAZLETON REPLAY

Floyd The Freak picked up the other Grassroots division for his fifth lifetime win.

The Ashleigh and Ed Hensley homebred continues to show how well he gets over a half-mile track, adding this score to Grassroots wins at Clinton Raceway and Hanover Raceway last year, as well as sweeping the Balanced Image elimination and final at Hanover.

FLOYD THE FREAK REPLAY

Prospect Series Recap

Three-year-old pacing gelding Scribblers (Sportswriter) continued to build his bankroll in restricted Ontario Sired racing opportunities, adding a Prospect Series score to move over $43,000 in earnings which was already buttressed by a Gold division third in 2022 and an Ontario Sired Harvest Series Leg win at Woodbine Mohawk Park in October.

Control the Moment filly Dewitt This Moment earned the upset win for owner and trainer Paul Ritchie as she won for a second time against Ontario Sired company this season adding to her triumph in an Ontario Sired Spring Series leg in April at Woodbine Mohawk Park. He paid $11.20 for the score.

The other three Prospect Series divisions were won by Acefourtyfour Elvis (3CT), Maple (3FP), and It Takes Two (3CP).

OSS racing continues this weekend at The Raceway at Western Fair District with Grassroots three-year-old pacing filly’s action.

From the Ontario Sire Stakes