OSS Gold shocker at Mohawk

Midnight Nation (Betterthancheddar) landed a 26-1 harness racing upset with a scintillating last quarter to get up by a nose in the $100,400 opener of the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold for sophomore pacing males on Saturday (Jul. 1) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The gelding resided in the five-hole while Verdun (Louis-Philippe Roy) and Moment Is Here (Jamse MacDonald) set a quarter in :26.2 and half in :55, respectively. Trevor Henry kept Midnight Nation on the pylons to three-quarters in 1:23.1.

Moment Is Here led the way home while Midnight Nation steadily advanced after finding a lane on the inside. Midnight Nation bore down as they moved into deep-stretch and pipped the wavering Moment Is Here on the line to win by a nose in 1:49.3. The winner’s final quarter was clocked in :25.3.

Verdun was right there third.

MIDNIGHT NATION REPLAY

Midnight Nation is two-for-eight lifetime. He was winless in four overnights prior to the win on Saturday. Richard Moreau trains the gelding, who has now earned $91,705, for Shaun Vallee of Jackson and D P V Racing Stable of Ringoes.

Stockade Seelster (State Treasurer, Jody Jamieson) captured the second division in another photo finish. He was in control through the first three panels of :26.4, :56, and 1:23 with No Control (Sylvain Filion) in his wake. The leader carried a length-and-a-half advantage into the last eighth of a mile, and it was just enough for Stockade Seelster to get home and hold on by a nose in 1:49.3. No Control was the closing runner-up. Whatchulookin At (Henry) finished third.

STOCKADE SEELSTER REPLAY

Stockade Seelster has won three of his five starts this season and is 11-for-16 lifetime. He won the North America Cup consolation and was an Ontario Sires Stakes champion last year. The colt has earned $1,082,870 for Sally Macdonald of Souris and Paul Macdonald of Toronto, who have enlisted Dr. Ian Moore as the trainer.

In the card’s $48,000 Free For All, Linedrive Hanover (Betting Line, MacDonald) took down recently-anointed track record holder Warrawee Vital (Henry). Warrawee Vital took point on the backstretch, challenging Linedrive Hanover to beat him from the pocket. The leader was in control entering the stretch, but his lead was cut down to a half-length by mid-stretch, and Linedrive Hanover got past shortly after to score in 1:47. Poseidon Seelster (Bob McClure) was well back in third.

LINEDRIVE HANOVER REPLAY

It was the first win for Linedrive Hanover since returning from the injury that cut short in 2022 campaign. The gelding, who won the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup last year, has tallied 12 times in 21 career outings and has earned $408,980. Tony Beaton trains the five-year-old for West Wins Stable of Wellington, McKinlay & Fielding of Toronto, and Mac Nichol of Burlington.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will resume racing on Monday, Jul. 3, featuring a pair of Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots division on the 10-race program. First post is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink