NA Cup champ wins $140,000 Gold

North America Cup winner Nijinsky (Bettors Delight) cruised to harness racing victory in the sole Ontario Sires Stakes Gold division for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Friday (Aug. 16) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Away fifth, the colt tracked the pylons through the quarter in :26.4 until James MacDonald pulled him out onto cover approaching the half in :56.1. Longshot Legal Attack (Jody Jamieson) led the outer flow, towing Nijinsky until the latter colt popped three-wide approaching three-quarters in 1:23.1.

Nijinsky exploded as the field straightened for home and soared to the front, rolling clear by three-and-a-half length to complete the 1:51 victory.

Crush Kill Destroy (Doug McNair) took second from the pocket, followed by Wikipedia (Travis Cullen), who came from last.

NIJINSKY REPLAY

Nijinsky is now eight-for-nine on the season with wins in the North America Cup, Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, and the Ontario Sires Stakes. Tony Beaton trains the colt, who has earned $1,114,082 and won nine of 19 career starts. West Wins Stable of Wellington, John Fielding of Scarborough, and Mark Dumain of Pine Bush own the three-year-old.

The win, combined with the cheque from Wikipedia, propelled Beaton past $10 million in career earnings. The trainer, who had his first full season in 2017, is coming off a career year in 2023 in which he won 80 of 467 races and racked up trainee earnings of $2.2 million. He has compiled career totals of 356 victories and $10,016,398 in 2,383 starts.

Silver Label (Bettors Delight) dominated her top-level rivals in the night’s $36,000 Fillies and Mares Preferred Handicap. Doug McNair had the mare reach the top at the midway point, and the double O’Brien Award winner powered three-and-a-half lengths clear down the stretch for a 1:50.2 win.

Prohibition Legal (MacDonald) finished second over the closing Tells On A Roll (Cullen).

SILVER LABEL REPLAY

Silver Label has hit the board in three Grand Circuit stakes in the past two months and won both her attempts at the Mohawk Fillies and Mares Preferred level during that span. Nick Gallucci trains the Millar Farms homebred, a 24-time winner in 51 lifetime appearances. The five-year-old has earned $1,569,993.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will finish its race week on Saturday, Aug. 17 with a card featuring eliminations for the William Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful Way, a $36,000 Preferred, and three Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions. First post is set for 7:10 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink