Nijinsky becomes millionaire in $150,000 Mid-Season Final

Nijinsky (Bettors Delight) returned to Woodbine Mohawk Park for the first time since his North America Cup harness racing win to take the $150,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Mid-Season Final on Saturday (Jul. 20).

Louis-Philippe Roy delayed the colt’s charge to the front, tucking in fourth to the quarter in :26.4 before brushing on the backstretch. Nijinsky set middle fractions of :55.1 and 1:23.3 with no pressure on the outside after taking over and led into the lane.

Storm Shadow (Bob McClure) lurked from the pocket all the way home, but he could do more than that, and Nijinsky reached the finish with a length-and-a-quarter margin in a 1:50.2 victory.

Storm Shadow finished second with three-and-a-half lengths separating him from Crush Kill Destroy (Doug McNair), who was third.

NIJINSKY REPLAY

Nijinsky crossed into seven-digit territory in earnings with the win, his eighth lifetime in 18 starts. The colt is seven-for-eight this year for Tony Beaton with wins in the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold series, Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, and North America Cup. He has now earned $1,044,082 for owners West Wins Stable, John Fielding, and Mark Dumain.

Its A Love Thing (Bettors Delight), currently ranked fourth in the weekly Top Ten Poll, also joined the millionaires club as she won the $150,000 OSS Gold Mid-Season Final for three-year-old pacing fillies.

She was fifth away and spent the first half panels of :26.2 and :53.3 in that position. She took second-over cover going into the final turn, advanced through three-quarters in 1:21.4, and forged to the front down the stretch. Pass Line (Doug McNair) closed off her helmet but was a half-length short as a wrapped-up It’s a Love Thing crossed the line in front in 1:49.2.

Odds On Platinum (Sylvain Filion) battled on for third after going first-over.

ITS A LOVE THING REPLAY

Its A Love Thing has now won three straight stakes races, a streak which began in the Fan Hanover Stakes. Saturday’s win was her 11th lifetime in 19 appearances, and she has now earned $1,068,974 under the guidance of trainer Dave Menary. The filly is owned by Eric Good, Thomas Biederman, Josh Green, and Rich Lombardo Racing. She has also won the Jerry Silverman Memorial, SBOA Stakes, and an OSS Gold leg this year.

Also on the card, Redwood Hanover (Stay Hungry) won for the first time in 20 starts and took a lifetime mark of 1:49. He blew away conditioned opponents in a coast-to-coast performance by eight-and-a-quarter lengths. The Beaton-trained stallion, a Grand Circuit contender at three, is now six-for-32 lifetime with $311,992 in earnings. His last win came on Jun. 3, 2023 in the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes.

REDWOOD HANOVER REPLAY

The next card at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, Jul. 22 will feature the $36,000 Preferred-Handicap Trot. First post is listed as 7:10 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink