‘Cheesy’ bringing smiles in Gold successes

MILTON, October 5, 2022 – Owning a racehorse is a lot of fun. Owning a stakes winning racehorse is even more fun. Harness racing trainer John Pentland and the ownership group of Cheesy Smile (Betterthancheddar) definitely fall into the latter, as they’ve been enjoying the ride their star freshman pacing filly has them on this season.

The filly is entered in the Ontario Sires Stakes regular season finale tomorrow (Oct. 6) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, as two $159,000 divisions go postward, one for two-year-old pacing fillies, and one for three-year-old trotting fillies.

Pentland, a resident of London, Ont., co-owns Cheesy Smile with Cindy Molyneux (Sparta, Ont.), Peter Charlton (St Thomas, Ont.), and Archie Leach (London, Ont.).

The veteran trainer has enjoyed his fair share of OSS and stakes success in two decades training racehorses, but Cheesy Smile’s triumphs this year to the tune of $164,697 and a pair of Gold wins are new for the rest of the group.

“My partners haven’t been in that position before,” said Pentland. “It makes it that much more exciting to have people who haven’t been in that position before. It would be exciting regardless, but to see it from their perspective it’s kind of new again, so I really appreciate that, and I am having a lot of fun.”

Cheesy Smile has had tough sledding her previous two starts, drawing an outside post position in the Shes A Great Lady elimination and final, but showed plenty of heart, especially when pacing home in 25.4 in the final.

“She raced great in the elimination and the final. You couldn’t ask her to race any better than she did against that caliber,” said Pentland. “She just couldn’t overcome the post position against those horses.”

On Thursday night, Cheesy Smile will have outside post position once again, drawing post eight with Bob McClure in the race bike. The 10-horse field contains Gold winners Big Big Plans, Starlight Dancer, Savethelastdance, and Momentary Control.

“Even some of the fillies that haven’t won as much are really good fillies,” said Pentland. “It wouldn’t shock me no matter whose filly won the race. I don’t think any of them should be underestimated.”

The other OSS division goes in race five with nine sophomore trotters challenging division leader, and Grand Circuit winner Adare Castle.

Trainer Mark Etsell’s standout filly went over the $1 million mark in earnings in her last start, a runner-up in the Elegant Image for Etsell’s co- owners Robert Newton (Walkerton, Ont.), Graham Hopkins (Chesley, Ont.) and Peter Porter (Port Dover, Ont.).

For complete Ontario Sires Stake standings, click here.

For complete race entries, click here.