Willys Home Run scores another OSS win at Woodbine Mohawk Park

MILTON, SEPTEMBER 4, 2023 – Willys Home Run (Archangel) continued her dominance over the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) this harness racing season with an eye-popping score in the second of two $103,000-plus Gold divisions for two-year-old trotting fillies tonight at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

She was made a 1-5 favourite by the betting public in race six, despite drawing the outside post ten with James MacDonald in the bike.

“When I saw the draw originally, I said that sucks,” said MacDonald. “But I know what this filly is capable of, and it was kind of a good situation going in. I raced her off the pace in the Peaceful Way and she had been racing so good, so I knew it wasn’t like she’d gone down the road four starts in a row and she had to do it again.”

As MacDonald suspected, the ten hole was no issue for Willys Home Run. She blasted from the gate, led the field through a 27.4 first quarter, and remained in front through a second panel in 30 seconds flat.

R Liza made a first up move in the third quarter, but when MacDonald and Willys Home Run entered the stretch, the filly showed another gear, separating herself from the rest of the field by six lengths and stopping the clock in 1:55.1.

Willys Home Run is a full sister to Logan Park, who established a new Canadian record of 1:50.3 earlier this season. Trainer Rob Fellows knew he had a good one on his hands in the spring.

“In April or May I had like 14 and I knew she was better than everything else,” said Fellows. “You trained her with the pacers and she’s better than them. She was just special.”

Willys Home Run has banked $312,000 through seven starts, with four OSS Gold wins, and runner-up in the Grand Circuit Peaceful Way in her previous start.

Bred by Reg Higgs, she is co-owned by Higgs, Dr Sara Gatchell, Jake Higgs, Yolanda Fellows.

Valuable Miss (My MVP) out-dueled West River Ivory (Wheelin N Dealin) for second.

The OSS action kicked off in race three where Zippy Zipporah battled Love Those Legs for the early lead through a 28.1 first quarter, while Bob McClure settled Dontmesswithmama (Muscle Mass) back in seventh after leaving from the post six.

No One took the lead in the backstretch and posted a 58.1 half-mile mark, before Louis-Philippe Roy and Sue Ann cleared to the front around the far turn with favourite Rhythm of Life on cover, setting up what looked like a three way battle between the pair and Love Those Legs.

McClure made it a four-way fight by finding room for Dontmesswithmama up the rail and the Blake MacIntosh trainee trotted home in 28.1 to win by a head over Rhythm of Life.

“Every time a lane opened up for her, she just kept diving forward,” said McClure. “So, it was a good time for Blake to have her good, and she is rounding into form at the right time of year.”

Dontmesswithmama’s win was the first of her career, and it was her best performance in the provincial program to date, with her two previous efforts yielding fourth and fifth place finishes.

“The other day when I trained her, she didn’t want to pass the last one, so I wasn’t too happy about it,” said MacIntosh. “But she seemed to pass everything tonight.”

MacIntosh co-owns the filly with Van Camp Trotting Corp who moved her career earnings from just over $18,000 to $69,761 with the maiden breaking score.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Austin Stanton, for Ontario Racing