A Clean Deal maintained her clean record by powering to a career-best 1:50 victory in the lone $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Leg 3 Gold Series event for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Thursday (Aug. 14) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The daughter of Cattlewash—Ideal Talker is now perfect through four career starts and three OSS Gold Series events. She won the first two Gold events in the division on July 4 and July 17, respectively, both at Woodbine Mohawk Park and already sports earnings of $218,000.
On Thursday, regular pilot Doug McNair drove A Clean Deal to the 1 ¾ length victory in the field of seven for trainer Rob Fellows, owners Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood, ON, Blair Corbeil of Leduc, AB, Windermere Stable LLC of New York, NY and James Ross of Wingham, ON. Bred by Winbak Farm, A Clean Deal was purchased for $20,000 U.S. at the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Despite coming into the race after a month off, A Clean Deal, the 1-2 favourite, was impressive. She led the field through the :27.3 first-quarter before yielding the front to Daya (Jody Jamieson) through fractions of :55.1 and 1:23.1. In the stretch, A Clean Deal popped the picket and blew past as Daya faded. Jen Tilly (Billy Davis, Jr.) closed well for second-place money, followed by Naughty Delight (James MacDonald), Jay (Bob McClure) and Daya.
“Going back to her last start, she had to do a lot of the work, and she had a month off coming into this start,” McNair told Woodbine broadcaster John Rallis. “So, I wasn’t sure how she’d really be tonight. Some of the other fillies have raced a couple times since [the last Gold], but [A Clean Deal] was really impressive tonight.
“She’s beautiful to drive – two fingers – and when you ask her to go, she goes.”
Rob Fellows said A Clean Deal has been a bit of a surprise.
“She trained down very average,” the trainer said. “Actually, I had a Captaintreacherous filly that wouldn’t cut it. So, [A Clean Deal] did a lot of the work. She did nothing wrong, but she didn’t show anything until she got behind the gate.”
Rob said the plan was just to race A Clean Deal in the OSS program this year.