The Ontario Sires Stakes celebrated Canada Day in style with six $18,000 Grassroots Series divisions for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers on the go at Mohawk Racetrack. It was a big night for owner/breeders as home-breds racked up victories in five of the six dashes.
Owner/breeder Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil, Quebec, celebrated after the first division as their V I P Bayama turned a second-over trip into a 1:52.3 score for driver Sylvain Filion and trainer Stephane Larocque. Recharge (Jody Jamieson) was the runner-up and Svadilfari (James MacDonald), the leader for much of the mile, finished third.
The victorious Mach Three-Lucky Josie (Aces Up) colt was making his seasonal debut after winning three of nine starts last season and earning over $43,000. V I P Bayama was also second in last year’s Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series final at Mohawk Racetrack for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Next up on the home-bred parade was Sanattle Slew, who also came from off-the-pace and overcame interference before three-quarters to prevail by a neck in 1:52.4 for Canadian Hall of Fame driver Steve Condren. Cluster Hanover (Jamieson) was second, followed by Lucky King (MacDonald).
Sanattle Slew, bred and owned by trainer Jeff Gillis of Hillsburgh, Ont., won for the sixth time in his career, and he has now earned over $57,000. He is a son of Santanna Blue Chip, who Gillis continues to train, and out of the Cam Fella mare Armbro Ocala.
The tightest finish of the night happened in the fourth Grassroots tilt, with the pocket-sitting Regal Babe (Doug McNair) nosing out pace-setting Shadow Place (Filion) by a nose in 1:51.3. Reasonable Force (MacDonald) checked in the third position.
A gelded son of Stonebridge Regal, Regal Babe campaigns for trainer Gregg McNair and owner/breeder Robert Chapple of Chatham, Ont. Out of the Grinfromeartoear mare NASCAR Babe, Regal Babe scored his third lifetime win and boosted his bankroll to $58,938.
Another winner came out of the two-hole in the fifth Grassroots split, and that was Atomic Million AM (Filion), who passed leader and favourite Prince Clyde (MacDonald) inside the final sixteenth of the mile en route to a 1:50.4 win. That was the fastest Grassroots event of the night and gave Atomic Million AM a new lifetime mark. Jiggle It (Randy Waples) collected third.
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Alain Martin of Gatineau, Quebec, bred, owns, and trains Atomic Million AM, a gelded son of Million Dollar Cam-Lady Hustler (Daylon Hustler). He has nine wins his racing career and earnings of over $41,000.
Regal Son (Waples) won the nightcap, overcoming a first-over grind against public choice Titus Seelster (Filion) to triumph in 1:51.3. Andreios Kardia (Steve Byron) was home third.
The victorious Stonebridge Regal-On This Day (Camluck) colt is trained by Bob McIntosh of Windsor, Ont., who also bred Regal Son with long-time partner C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio. Gordon Wright of Charlotte, Mich., is also part of the ownership contingent. Regal Son is a three-time winner in his racing career, and he has earned over $45,000.
The only horse able to break the home-bred stranglehold on the proceedings was Nirvana Seelster (Phil Hudon) who won the third Grassroots section by circling from seventh to first in the final quarter of the mile. Nirvana Seelster halted the clock in 1:52.3, defeating Rather Swell (Condren) by a neck. D Gs Justlikethat (Filion) took third.
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Nirvana Seelster is a Camluck-No Strikes Against (Western Hanover) gelding trained by Bill Budd for owner Bruce Davy of Brockville, Ont. Nirvana Seelster, who was unraced at two, now has a pair of wins and has put away $31,060. He was bred by Seelster Farms of Lucan, Ont, and sold for $77,000 at the 2012 Forest City Yearling Sale.
Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series action for the sophomore pacing colts and geldings will next take place on July 26 at Georgian Downs. For full results and charts of tonight’s races please go to –