Trotting youngsters clash in $212,500 OSS Gold leg

The two-year-old trotting colts had their first crack at Ontario Sires Stakes Gold events of the harness racing season with three opening leg divisions at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday (Jul. 4).

In the first $70,533 division a pair of Muscle Mass colts engaged in an exciting stretch duel with Mass Market taking advantage of a pocket trip to win by a neck over odds-on favourite Snowpiercer.

Trevor Henry settled Mass Market into second after leaving from rail position, and Paul MacDonell moved Snowpiercer to the front from post five and led for most of the mile, setting fractions of 29.1, 59.1, and 1:28.3 along the way.

Henry tipped out Mass Market as the pair entered the stretch, and he moved in front just before the wire, winning in a final time of 1:56.1.

“I knew going into tonight he had a good shot. He’s a nice colt,” said Henry. “With Paul’s horse, it’s tough with a young horse on the front, they get a little green, and that’s probably the reason I picked him off late.”

Both colts showed strong closing speed, with final panels of 27.1 and 27.3 respectively. Trainer John Bax was proud of Snowpiercer’s effort in just his second career start.

“He doesn’t know what he’s doing yet. He just looks like a big goofy kid out there,” said Bax. “They sprinted home, and he took him on. At some point you’d like to not be on the front end, and have him pick somebody off, but he looks like he’s going to be around all year.”

Trainer Robert McIntosh co-owns Mass Market with Douglas McIntosh, and Randy Liepa. Bax Stable co-owns Snowpiercer with Brad Grant, David Anderson, and Richard Gutnick.

The Great Emotion rounded out the top-three, closing in 27.1 for driver Louis-Philippe Roy. Cassandra Lecourt trains and owns the Lookslikeachpndale colt.

Bax got another trip from the front in the second $70,533 Gold division, and the second time around 3-5 favourite Oh Look Magic (Lookslikeachpndale) won by three lengths over his nearest rival. 

Doug McNair made a move with second-choice Osceola to challenge early, but the Muscle Mass colt went off-stride in his attempt and James MacDonald piloted Oh Look Magic to fractions of 28.2, 59.2, and 1:28.2, before closing in 28.3 for the gate to wire win. 

The colt, has now led at the quarter-mile marker in both his pari-mutuel efforts, and lone qualifier.

“I think it showed tonight that he’d been to the front, because he wanted to go there again,” said Bax. “Going forward we are going to have to work on that.”

Bax Stable owns the gelding with Glengate Farms and Cavalier Stable.

A pair of longshots finished second and third. Jody Jamieson piloted 28-1 shot Passarino to a closing panel of 27.2 to overtake 64-1 third-place finisher Airborne (Wheelin N Dealin) in the stretch.

Passarino is a Lookslikeachpndale colt trained by Ted Macdonell. Macdonell co-owns with breeder Seawind Amg Stbs. Trevor Henry drove Airborne, a Frederick Clarke homebred for trainer Blake Macintosh in his third-place effort.

The final $71,434 Gold division went in race 7, where Dowedealinandwhy (Wheelin N Dealin) was victorious.

Sent off as the odds-on favourite, the gelding was guided to the early pocket position by Sylvain Filion after leaving from the rail.

The Rob Fellows trainee sat behind Deadline Hall who Chris Christoforou sent to the early lead from post eight. Deadline Hall set a first panel of 29.0, and Filion moved Dowedealinandwhy just past the quarter mile marker with a strong first up move.

“Any time you have the rail with a two-year-old trotter, you don’t know how they are going to act,” said Fellows. “We were cautious because you don’t want to get away fifth and come first up for a half-mile. It was more of a see what happens.”

After a soft second panel of 31.2 Lookslikeadream (Lookslikeachpndale) tried to overtake the leader, but Dowedealinandwhy was up for the challenge, and powered home in 27.2 for a winning time of 1:58.0.

“(Sylvain) cut out very nice fractions for him, and he was able to sprint in the lane,” said Fellows. “Now it’s all about keeping him healthy and sound for the rest of the season.”

Dowedealinandwhy now has two wins from two starts and $43,717 in earnings for owners Yolanda Fellows and Irene Carey.

John Bax’s strong night continued with Deadline Hall’s runner-up finish. Bax Stable, Steve Organ, and Rick Heinz own the Muscle Mass gelding.

Muscle Mass colt Templeton was third for trainer Jonas Czernyson. James MacDonald was in the race bike for Czernyson’s fellow owners Aldebaran Park Inc, and L Berg Inc.

For current OSS Standings, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

From the Ontario Sires Stakes