On Saturday (Oct. 3), Woodbine Mohawk Park played host to all eight $100,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots Championships.
The winners, in order, were:
Race 1 – Two-year-old Pacing Fillies – Stormont Violet
Stormont Violet stormed home late to take all the spoils in the thrilling $100,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots Final for 2-year-old trotting fillies.
It was a scramble for the early lead, with several rookies vying for control. Houstonweavaproblm broke stride, Sumluckylady seized command, and Elusive Station, starting from post 10, crossed over but couldn’t find a seat. Stormont Violet, with Tyler Borth in the sulky, got away unfettered and settled into seventh.
Sumluckylady led by two lengths through an opening panel of :27.1, but Elusive Station, still grinding away on the outside, took over the proceedings soon afterward and was on top by 1 ½ lengths through a tepid half in :57.2. Meanwhile, Borth maintained a patient hand on the 4-5 choice, moving into sixth.
Elusive Station was still calling the shots through three-quarters in 1:27, as the daughter of Muscle Mass was tasked with fending off a host of challengers heading into the stretch.
Borth and Stormont Violet began to cut into the lead, but Sumluckylady was also full of trot, while a game Elusive Station dug in bravely, setting the stage for a dramatic final few strides.
At the wire, Stormont Violet put a nose in front of Sumluckylady for the victory. Elusive Station was a whisker back in third, with Dromoland Castle fourth.
The final time was a career-best 1:54.4 for Stormont Violet, punctuated by a field-best :26.4 final quarter.
“I was still a ways out of it, but I know how fast she can trot down the lane, so I thought I had a pretty good shot,” said Borth. “I was just happy I was able to get ahead of a few off the gate. I was talking to Kevin (trainer, Benn). He always tells me the same thing, just take it easy at the start with her because she is a little bit hard to drive. She trots home fast.”
It was the third straight score for the daughter of Alarm Detector out of the Angus Hall mare Stormont Contessa.
“I wasn’t expecting her to win the Grassroots Final, by any means,” said Benn. “She has been kind of nerve-wracking. Every time we train her at home, she runs. I said that I was just going to jog her for the last two weeks, and it worked out well.”
Bred and owned by Stormont Meadows of Long Sault, ON, Stormont Violet is now 4-1-0 from eight starts. She secured an impressive debut victory on July 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, taking a $30,000 OSS Grassroots division.
She paid $3.70 for her latest victory.
— Chris Lomon
Race 3 – Two-year-old Trotting Colts – Graceful King
Graceful King had managed only one win in OSS Grassroots action prior to Saturday night. The Mark Steacy-trained gelding, steered by Mark MacDonald, moved to the top and never relinquished, claiming the $100,000 final with a 1:53.3 performance.
Drawing post six in the night’s third contest, MacDonald and Graceful King pushed to the lead once the wings folded. Balius also fired from post position nine, dropping in behind the leader in tight quarters occupied by Spiritual Guidance, causing the freshman to make a break.
While Graceful King led the field through fractions of :27.4 and :57.1, Jody Jamieson and Great White North moved first up from fifth to mount a challenge with favored King Of The South following. Commanding the field through three quarters (1:25.4), Graceful King handily rebuffed the challenge of Balius (Louis-Philippe Roy), who narrowly held off a hard-charging King Of The South (Trevor Henry) to finish second. The runner-up was disqualified by judges and placed 10th due to the early incident that produced Spiritual Guidance’s miscue. The revised placings elevated King Of The South to second and Stormont Maroon (Tyler Borth) was placed third. Graceful King, a 1-1/2-length victor, paid $12.30-$4.80-$3.40 after breaking stride in his last Grassroots start and finishing ninth.
“I expected tonight to be a good night for him. He got a little interference there last time and everything,” Steacy said. “He’s been a real green colt, but a really good colt all year. So I was expecting good things.”
Bred by Andrew Shrock of Middlefield, OH, Graceful King is a gelded son of King Of The North out of Kadabra mare Princess Stephanie. A $100,000 purchase at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, the freshman is owned by Hudson Standardbred Stb Inc, Stephen Downey, Bertrand Gilhespy Stable and Landmark 19 Racing Stable.
Graceful King now sports a 2-3-1 record in eight seasonal starts. The victory improved his earnings to $93,740.
— James Platz
Race 4 – Two-year-old Pacing Fillies – We Want It All
The filly who continues to be a handful for the competition has now won a handful of races.
We Want It All was at the top of her game again, this time in the $100,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots Final for 2-year-old pacing fillies.
The daughter of Bulldog Hanover out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Beach Gal had a late start to her racing life but arrived at her championship engagement off four straight victories to start her career.
Make it five.
The trio of Bulldog Belle, We Want It All and Canadian Blondes scrapped it out for early bragging rights heading into the first turn, with Bulldog Belle emerging on the front end and taking her nine foes through an opening panel in :26.0.
Louis-Philippe Roy, driving the 1-9 favourite We Want It All, had his filly on the move from third and glided to the front ahead of the half, reaching that mark 1 ½ lengths clear of Bulldog Belle in :54.4.
The Dr. Ian Moore trainee was on top by 2 ¼ lengths over Diamondsbestfriend after three-quarters in 1:23.3 and began to draw off in the early stretch. Ahead by 2 ½ lengths at the stretch call, We Want It All cruised to a 1 ½-length score in a new lifetime-best mark of 1:51.4.
Diamondsbestfriend was second, followed by Canadian Blondes and Bulldog Belle.
“I liked her right off the bat,” said Roy, who is less than 30 wins away from 3,300 lifetime. “Paul MacKenzie sat behind her on a smaller track and he loved her, too. I was pretty confident going into this race.”
Owned by Brad Grant, We Want It All arrived at Saturday’s final off a confident half-length triumph in her $30,000 OSS Grassroots divisional leg on Sept. 21. She launched her career with a 4 1/4-length victory in the Prospect Series at Georgian Downs on Aug. 29.
Purchased for $277,778 (Hip #42) at the 2025 Lexington Select Yearling Sale, she has now amassed $96,000 in purse earnings.
We Want It All paid $2.30 for tonight’s victory.
— Chris Lomon
Race 5 – Three-year-old Trotting Fillies – Barbara May
Barbara May was stamped the favorite in Saturday’s Grassroots Final for sophomore filly trotters. She did not disappoint, wiring the field for trainer Gregg McNair in a time of 1:53. Doug McNair guided the homebred to victory.
Starting from post seven, Doug McNair rolled Barbara May to the lead from the onset and clicked off fractions of :26.4 and :55.2. Hp Imagine (Austin Sorrie) and Look A Diamond (Trevor Henry) remained in contact with the leader until McNair began to step on the gas and draw away from the field racing to three quarters, reached in 1:23.3. Despite getting tired in the stretch, the 1-5 favorite maintained a five-length margin at the wire to win for the fourth time in 14 seasonal attempts. Rare Legacy (42-1) and Tyler Borth shook loose late to finish second, followed across the wire by Miss Mass Appeal (99-1) and Travis Henry. Barbara May returned $2.40-$2.30-$2.10.
Bred and owned by Tom and Elizabeth Rankin, Barabara May is a daughter of Alarm Detector from Angus Hall mare Absolut Seelster. The victory raised her seasonal bankroll to $135,130, and her career earnings now total $246,305.
“It means the world to me,” said Doug McNair. “You know it’s good to win for anybody, but when it’s your family it’s definitely a little more thrilling. And then for guys like Tom and Elizabeth Rankin, you know, they’ve been in the game for a lot of years. These are homebreds and they do a great job. It’s nice to see them out here.”
— James Platz
Race 6 – Two-year-old Pacing Colts – C Script
In the OSS Grassroots Championship for 2-year-old pacing colts (race 6), C Script posted a career-best 1:50.3 victory to remain perfect in OSS competition.
It was the sixth win in seven career starts for the homebred son of Sportswriter out of Shark Hanover owned by trainer Gregg McNair, McKinlay & Fielding, M&S Racing Stable Inc. and Chris Robson.
Sent off as the 2-1 second choice, C Script (Doug McNair) sat fourth in the first half of the mile, made his move before the field hit the second turn and then powered away in the stretch to a 3¼ length victory. It was tight for second between three horses with Just Keep Flying (Trevor Henry), edging out Cattletracks (Louis-Philippe Roy) and The Swooper (Travis Henry). Cheddarlucknxttime was fifth.
C Script has earned $122,050 lifetime. He won all four Grassroots events he entered and was first across the wire in the $205,000 Battle of Waterloo on Aug. 3 at Grand River Raceway, but was set back to ninth for interference.
“He trained down pretty well all winter,” Gregg told Woodbine broadcaster Randy Waples. “We had a lot of nice 2-year-old pacing colts last winter, and he was one of them, and he he’s been good this whole season.”
C Script paid $6.90 to win.
— Dave Briggs
Race 7 – Three-year-old Trotting Colts – Another Great Mass
Homebred Another Great Mass used a lifetime best performance to annex the Grassroots Championship for sophomore trotting colts. Under the control of Trevor Henry, the Muscle Mass-Incredibility gelding stopped the clock in 1:53.4 to earn his third seasonal win.
Sent off at odds of 9-5, Another Great Mass got away fifth early as Trouble With Names and Bob McClure led the field through a :27.1 first panel before being shuffled by favored Maize And Blue (Doug McNair). As the field marched to a :55.4 opening half, Henry pulled the right line on Another Great Mass and began to advance first-up for trainer Ed Peconi, Jr. Trotting third turning for home, the gelding reeled in Maize And Blue before pushing past the leader in deep stretch. Stonebridge Wings (Austin Sorrie) closed late to finish third in a photo.
“He got a little trouble with his blood,” said Peconi, Jr. “He had a little bit of a virus. Not a very good time to try and get it where it is now,” said his conditioner. “But we got him in the right spot, you know, and yep, healthy. Now he’s ready to go.”
Bred and owned by Wade Peconi, Another Great Mass collected his third seasonal win, returning $5.70-$3.10-$2.50. Now a six-time winner in 24 career starts, the sophomore possesses $310,582 in earnings, with $90,416 accumulated in 2026. The victory shaved one-fifth of a second off his previous best effort.
— James Platz
Race 8 – Three-year-old Trotting Colts – Cant Turn You Down
In the OSS Grassroots Championship for 3-year-old pacing fillies (race 8), Cant Turn You Down, bred, trained and co-owned by Zach Carroll won her eighth straight race and posted a 1:50.1 triumph that equalled her lifetime best.
The daughter of Cattlewash out of Amulet Seelster, also owned by Sean Downey, was sent off as the 1-2 favourite, took over before the half and pulled away in the stretch to win by 2 ½ lengths over Horse With A Plan.
Bob McClure drove Cant Turn You Down to victory.
“I baby raced her, and I’d be lying if I said she was going to make it to the races,” McClure said. “You know, she had a lot of desire and felt like she had a powerful engine, but she was just ugly going slow. She’s not put together as perfect as you’d want one… when I qualified her back this year, she was kind of the same, just choppy, ugly going, and but felt like there was some go there, and then Zach took her over to Grand River, and I was shocked to see she won there in :55. Then she came here, and I got locked in, and she came flying the last 200 feet, and I was like, this thing’s legit. And then the next week she won… She wants to be a good horse so badly. Tonight, she got a rough first quarter and I couldn’t get her to relax very well on the front. They came at her, and down the lane, she’s driving away from them with her ears up.”
Malicia Speed (Travis Cullen) was third, followed by P N G Shadow (Daryl Thiessen) and Mcbubbles (Mark MacDonald).
Cant Turn You Down paid $3.
— Dave Briggs
Race 9 – Three-year-old Pacing Colts – Odds On Bullfrog
Odds On Bullfrog put away leader Exactly Correct in the stretch and held off favored Tilthecowscomehome to win the Grassroots Championship for sophomore pacing colts in 1:49.3. Piloted by Travis Henry for trainer Dr. Ian Moore, the Bulldog Hanover colt returned to the winner’s circle after battling foot issues.
“Well first of all I’d like to say that Travis Henry’s done a terrific job with him,” said. Moore. “I think he’s a great driver and he fits that horse like a glove so he’s done really well with him. The horse has had a foot issue here in the last month that has plagued him, hence the lameness scratch, and one time he was raced here and he probably shouldn’t have, maybe. But finally we were able to get it patched up and fixed up and he didn’t get much training. I trained him Monday two three maybe, that’s it, and here he is. He is a tough horse for sure.”
Drawing post four in the final, Henry and Bulldog Hanover got away second behind Tilthecowscomehome and Jody Jamieson, who led the field through a :26.4 opening panel. Exactly Correct (Mark MacDonald) brushed to the lead from fourth, leading the field to a :55 first half. At that point, Henry pulled Odds On Bullfrog from third, also bringing Wholetthedogsout and Tyler Borth to the outer flow.
Racing second as the field reached three quarters (1:22.2), Odds On Bullfrog collared, and dispatched, the leader. Jamieson and Tilthecowscomehome slipped to the inside and made a bid for the front while Wholetthedogsout sprinted three-wide on the outside. Odds On Bullfrog answered the challenge and held sway in the final strides, winning by 1-1/4 lengths. Tilthecowscomehome settled for second and Wholetthedogsout rounded out the trifecta. Odds On Bullfrog paid $8.40-$4.20-$3.00 in the victory.
Scratched lame from his last OSS start, Odds On Bullfrog collected his fourth win in 13 seasonal attempts. The colt was bred by Odds On Nourrir, and is owned by Odds On Racing, both of Boca Raton, Florida. The victory pushed Odds On Bullfrog’s seasonal earnings to $139,470. The eight-time winner possesses a $221,780 career bankroll.
Moore indicated the colt will contest the OSS Gold Final next week, as will his other pupil, defending Horse of the Year Beau Jangles, a 1:47.2 winner earlier in the day in a $79,000 division of the Grade 3 Bluegrass Stakes at The Red Mile.
“So we are planning on putting him in the gold final next week. Hopefully there’ll be just a regular bunch in there, plus Beau’s coming home tomorrow and he’ll be in there,” he said.
— James Platz