Eight $25,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots Consolation events were held over two nights at Woodbine Mohawk Park — the 2-year-old events on Thursday (Sept. 25) and the races for 3-year-olds on Friday (Sept. 26).
On Friday, Doug McNair drove the winners of the first three Consolations.
Favourite Tall Dark Lady (above) kicked off the card by going gate-to-wire to win the Grassroots Consolation for 3-year-old pacing fillies for owner/breeder Jim Avritt, Sr. of Kentucky and the father-and-son team of trainer Gregg McNair and driver Doug. Tall Dark Lady, a daughter of Bettors Delight—Precocious Beauty produced via embryo transfer won the event in a career-best 1:52.2. The full-sister to $2 million winner Tall Dark Stranger, improved to 4-3-2 in 14 starts this year and 4-3-3 in 23 lifetime outings. She has lifetime earnings of $77,581 and has made $53,990 of that this year.
In the Grassroots Consolation for 3-year-old pacing colts, Doug drove Wicked Express to a wire-to-wire victory in a career-best 1:51.2. It was the first OSS Grassroots win for the gelded, homebred son of McWicked out of Shes A Pansation bred by Winbak Farms, owned by Winbak owners Joe and Joann Thomson’s Hutt Racing Stable and trained by Rob Fellows.
Wicked Express is now 4-5-2 in 17 starts this year, and 4-8-2 in 21 lifetime outings. She has 2025 earnings of $55,920 and lifetime earnings of $65,200.
Sunday Shoes closed from fourth at the top of the stretch to dance his way to a three-length victory in the Grassroots Consolation for 3-year-old trotting colts in 1:54.3.
Doug McNair drove the son of Wheeling N Dealin—Pointe Shoes to victory for trainer Carmen Auciello, owner Daniel Sarafian of Unionville, ON and breeders Stuart and Patricia Bolender of Elora, ON. It was the first OSS Grassroots triumph for the lifetime winner of $70,270. Sunday Shoes now sports a record of 5-6-3 in 22 lifetime starts. He is 5-2-2 in 14 starts in 2025.
In the final Grassroots Consolation of the night, Resolved broke her maiden by winning the 3-year-old trotting fillies’ division by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.1.
The Thomas and Elizabeth Rankin homebred was driven to victory by Tyler Borth for trainer Ben Baillargeon.
With the win, the daughter of Resolve out of Miss Adam T improved to 1-5-5 in 21 career starts — 17 of those coming this year. Resolved has earned $52,440.
In Thursday’s action, favourite Cattlekiss was driven to the wire-to-wire victory by her trainer and owner, Guy Gagnon in the Grassroots Consolation for 2-year-old pacing fillies. Cattlekiss posted a 1:51.2 career-best mile to improve to 6-1-1 in eight starts.
Cattlekiss, a son of Cattlewash out of Kiss Baby Kiss, has been racing much of the summer in Québec. This was her first Ontario Sires Stakes victory.
Bred by Yves Sarrazin, Cattlekiss has earned $63,400.
Cattlekiss (Guy Gagnon) winning the OSS Grassroots Consolation for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Sept. 25, 2025 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (New Image Media photo)
Favourite Calgary Morning took the Grassroots Consolation for 2-year-old trotting fillies in a career-best 1:58.1. Todd Ratchford was in the bike for trainer Matt Bax and owner Bax Stable of Campbellville, ON, David Hudson of Dallas, TX, Gaelic Storm 2 of Sharon, ON and Happy Trails Stables of London, ON.
Bred by Robert Miller of Munfordville, KY, the daughter of Green Manalishi S out of Hold Her Tight has earned $36,474. She was purchased for $65,000 U.S. at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Anibal Duharas out-dueled Maize And Blue in the stretch to break his maiden in the 2-year-old trotting colts’ Consolation, winning by 1 ½ lengths in 1:56.4. The daughter of Green Manalishi S out of Cleopatre Duharas, was driven to victory by Louis-Philippe Roy for trainer Rob Fellows and owner Westover De L Estrie Inc. of Quebec. Bred by Haras De L Estrie of Dunham, QC, Anibal Duharas was purchased for $47,000 at the London Classic Yearling Sale.
Her record is now 1-1-1 in seven career starts. She has earnings of $24,550.
The final OSS Grassroots Consolation on Thursday night went to Cheese Dreams in the 2-year-old pacing colts’ division.
Jody Jamieson drove the homebred gelded son of Betterthancheddar—Alphabet Queen to the career-best 1:52.1 victory for trainer Scott McNiven and owners Kim and Kelley McNiven, Doug Heywood and Brad Douglas.
Cheese Dreams is now 2-3-0 in eight starts and has earnings of $30,350.
All eight $75,000 OSS Grassroots Finals will be contested on Saturday (Sept. 27) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.