Get to know the equine stars of Woodbine Mohawk Park, as we go beyond the chart lines and stat sheets to deliver three fascinating facts about a horse who will look to make their mark in 2022.
āThis week, veteran trotter Oney Hall, currently riding a six-race win streak, is in the spotlight. Trainer Bob McIntosh offers up a trio of fascinating facts about the bay gelding.
āOney Hall
āAge: 6
āSire: Deweycheatumnhowe
āDam: On With The Show
āRecord: 85 26-12-10
āEarnings: $438,754
āTrainer: Bob McIntosh
āOwner: Alan Leavitt
āBreeder:Ā Walnut Hall Limited
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āNeed to know:Ā Won his Mohawk debut on October 9, 2020, the start of his first six-race win streak.
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āQuick thought:Ā āEvery race in his current win streak [six straight] has impressed me. The most recent one [May 9], he was under wraps at the wire, which is as good as it gets. Trevor [driver, Henry] never moved a muscle. He let him trot through the stretch under a firm hold. I love that. You can leave some in the tank for next week. I know itās going to get tougher as we go, but weāre all enjoying this right now.ā ā Bob McIntosh
āChanging gears:Ā āWhen I first got him, he came to me in great condition. He was well trained, but he was hot. He didnāt want to relax when he was jogging or training. To me, itās very important when they are relaxed. I was able to get him to calm down and he became more relaxed during the week. I think that helped him a lot. The first time [owner] Alan Leavitt called me and asked if I thought the horse would do well at Mohawk, I looked up his lines and said, āMaybe.ā They werenāt that great, really, but the rest is history. Heās an exceptional horse. He just needed some fine-tuning on his manners.ā
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āThe Moment:Ā āI remember the first time I trained him I couldnāt believe his stride, how he got over the track so easily. He opened my eyes the first time I trained him. He trotted a huge last half at the farm, and I thought, āWowā¦ weāve got something here. This for real.ā And then his first start, he swooped the field and then I knew we had something kind of special.ā
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āMr. Personality: āHe gets his game face on when he gets on the track, and he knows who he is now. Sometimes, heās a little tough to get out of the paddock. Once heās on the track, heās totally professional. But he has a little quirk about coming out of his stall. He puts a little show on. Since heās Oney Hall, I put up with it. He knows heās good, thatās for sure. Heās pretty proud of himself. Iāve been in this business all my life and when a horse wins, they know it. They have a different attitude. They are smarter than we think.ā ā ā ā ā
by Chris Lomon, for Woodbine Communications