Odds-on choice Stockade Seelster held on the lead and 26-1 shot Midnight Nation fired from well off the speed to each clock a 1:49.3 mile and narrowly take their respective $100,400 opening-round divisions of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday night (July 1).
In the first division, driver Trevor Henry sat fifth with Midnight Nation, who was sent off as the longest shot on the board. He chased a :26.2 first quarter set by Verdun, who then relinquished control to 2-5 favourite Moment Is Here up the backstretch. Moment Is Here coasted to a :55 half and 1:23.1 as everyone but Midnight Nation pulled off the pylons circling for home. With clearance to the inside, Midnight Nation fired and slipped through the inside route to a nose victory with pocket-pounder Verdun left in third and Macs Delight in fourth.
“They all moved out, eh? And when they move out, you move up,” Henry said after the race. “It just worked out, you know? Just got lucky. I knew it was close, I wasn’t really sure [I won]. I was hoping – he’s a nice horse. He raced great – [trainer] Richard [Moreau] said we’d race for a cheque and we got more than that.”
Shaun Vallee and D P V Racing Stable own Midnight Nation, a gelding by Betterthancheddar, bred in Ontario by Princeton Farms. The victory was the first OSS Gold win for a Princeton Farms bred horse.
Midnight Nation won his second race from eight starts and has now banked $91,705. He paid $54.50 to win.
The second OSS division also came to a nose decision, but the pacesetter Stockade Seelster held off the late push of No Control to win. Driver Jody Jamieson planted Stockade Seelster on the point and rolled uncontested through fractions of :26.4, :56 and 1:23 before engaging in a stretch sprint with No Control. No Control crept closer all through the lane, but came just shy of victory as Whatchulookin At fired home quickest of the six to snag third, beaten three-quarter lengths, with Santana Hanover fourth.
“I thought he held on,” Jamieson said after the race. “It was really more my fault than anything – you can’t slow these good horses down the way I did in the second quarter. I should’ve just let him roll. I had in my head how good No Control raced last week and I noticed him sitting on my back and wanted every advantage I could. I don’t think going to the half in :56 flat was an advantage; it hurt him more than anything. This horse just dug in.”
Stockade Seelster won for the 11th time from 16 starts and has now earned $1,082,870 for owners Sally and Paul MacDonald. Dr. Ian Moore trains the colt by State Treasurer and confirmed that last year’s Metro Pace winner is bound for New Jersey to race in the Meadowlands Pace eliminations.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.