Willys Home Run completes perfect Ontario Sires Stakes season

Willys Home Run (Archangel) crushed in the $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for two-year-old trotting fillies on Friday (Oct. 13) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, completing an undefeated campaign in the provincial program.

The filly made her post 10 draw an afterthought with a march to the front in a :27.4 first quarter, claiming the top spot over resistance from P L Rainbow Dash (Bob McClure) from the pylon post. Driver James MacDonald backed her down to the half in :57.2 but was forced into higher gear as Valuable Miss (Trevor Henry) advanced first-up nearing three-quarters.

Willys Home Run passed that station in 1:25.4, and she quickly put Valuable Miss in the rearview mirror as they entered the stretch. With that rival put away, the filly sailed to victory down the lane and put the cherry on top of her flawless Ontario Sires Stakes season with a clocking of 1:56.2.

Valuable Miss, four-and-a-quarter lengths back, proved second best over P L Rainbow Dash.

“She does it so easy, I just let her coast off the gate, and I looked over and we were up by three,” MacDonald said in his post-race interview.

WILLYS HOME RUN REPLAY

Willys Home Run won all five of her preliminary contests in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold series and was never closer to defeat than two-and-a-quarter lengths. Robert Kyle Fellows has been the trainer of record throughout her career, guiding her to six wins in 10 starts and $523,935 in earnings. The filly also placed in her Peaceful Way elimination and the final and was third in the Champlain. She races for owners Dr. Sara Gatchell, Jake Higgs, and Reg Higgs of Strathroy and Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood.

The race was the first of eight Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals. There are three remaining for two-year-olds on tonight’s card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink