Chantilly returned to form on Thursday (Oct. 2) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, pulling away in the lane to dominate the lone $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Leg 5 event for 3-year-old pacing fillies.
Millar Farms’ homebred daughter of Big Jim out of Shiraz Seelster, driven by James MacDonald, won by eight lengths over Eternal Delight (Doug McNair) in 1:50.2, coming home in :25.4. Millie May Hanover (Billy Davis, Jr.) was third.
It was the first pari-mutuel start for Chantilly (above) since she faded in the stretch of her Gold event on Aug. 24 at Rideau Carleton Raceway and finished sixth.
In the winner’s circle, Chantilly’s trainer, Nick Gallucci told Woodbine’s Randy Waples it has, “definitely been a roller coaster I don’t want to be part of.
“Last year, we never had any bumps in the road, and it was just a smooth year. But this year, she got a touch of pneumonia before the Fan Hanover, and that set us back. And then we felt like we had her back on her toes and then the two long distance trips set us back again. She just didn’t seem to handle being away from home very well. I ended up having to just give her a bit of time, and she seems like she’s back to herself tonight. It’s so very nice to see.”
Gallucci said, “unless something catastrophic happens — which I shouldn’t be saying, because it’s happened to us twice this year with this filly” Chantilly will contest the Breeders Crown after next Saturday’s (Oct. 10) OSS Super Final.
Thursday’s victory improved Chantilly to 14-1-0 in 17 career starts. Following her perfect 9-for-9 freshman season which earned her Canada’s Horse of the Year award, Chantilly has been 5-1-0 in eight starts this year. She’s made $1,143,462 lifetime and $382,462 this year.
It was the seventh OSS Gold victory of Chantilly’s career, counting last year’s Super Final triumph. She has won three of the four Gold events she has raced in this year.
Sent off at 1-9 in the field of seven, Chantilly paid $2.10.
In the $140,000 OSS Gold Leg 5 event for 3-year-old pacing colts two races later, Crack Shot posted his second Gold win of the year to go along with two second-place finishes in Gold action.
Doug McNair drove the son of Bettors Delight out of Beautyonthebeach to the 1:49.4 victory for his father, Crack Shot’s trainer Gregg McNair, along with London Knights coach Dale Hunter, Frank Brundle and George Kerr.
Crack Shot battled favoured Allstar Maniac (James MacDonald) in the early going before Boxer Seelster (Trevor Henry) replaced the latter in the pocked. Turning for home the battle was on, but Crack Shot found another gear and sprinted home in :25.4 to win by three lengths. Boxer Seelster and Fifth And Five (Jody Jamieson) dead-heated for second. Allstar Maniac and Control Rocks (Tyler Borth) were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Crack Shot (Doug McNair) winning the $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Leg 5 event for 3-year-old pacing colts on Thursday (Oct. 2) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Bred by Jim Avritt, Sr. and sold for $205,000 at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Crack Shot improved to 10-5-1 in 21 starts lifetime. He is 5-4-1 in 13 starts in 2025. Lifetime, the pacer has earned $584,160, with $345,335 of that coming this year.
Sent off at 2-1, Crack Shot paid $6.80.