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2022-02-07T18:07:17-05:00February 7, 2022|

Ontario Sires Stakes Participants Clean Up at 2021 O’Brien Awards

The 2021 O’Brien Awards took place last night and Ontario Sires Stakes participants collected plenty of hardware. Horses sustained to the OSS won seven of the eight younger horse categories led by the 2021 Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year, Desperate Man. Bred by Winbak Farms, Desperate Man won the O’Brien for three-year-old pacing colts. His

2022-02-04T11:04:12-05:00February 4, 2022|

Ontario Racing Announces 2022 OSS and Prospect Series Schedule

One of North America’s leading stakes programs, the Ontario Sires Stakes and its accompanying Prospect Series are back in full force for 2022, launching Confederation Cup weekend, May 21 and 22, at Flamboro Downs. All four of the three-year-old Prospect Series classes will headline the Saturday, May 21 race card, and Confederation Cup Sunday (May

2022-02-01T13:18:27-05:00January 31, 2022|

Six New Stallions Will Stand in Ontario in 2022

Six new stallions will join the Standardbred ranks in Ontario in 2022, for a total of 55 registered Ontario Sires. “The new stallions show what a world class program the Ontario Sires Stakes is. Bar none we have the best program in North America,” said Tammy McNiven, member of the Standardbred Improvement Program Committee. “They

2021-11-04T16:00:06-04:00November 4, 2021|

2021 Ontario Sires Stakes season was full of highlights

Although compressed into four months, the 2021 Ontario Sires Stakes season featured all of the fierce battles and memorable performances fans have come to expect from the province’s top pacers and trotters. In addition to delivering impressive efforts within the program, Ontario Sired horses were also victorious in open stake action, highlighted by Desperate Man’s

2021-10-17T02:32:36-04:00October 17, 2021|

MacDonald caps off memorable season with trio of Super Final wins

Driver James MacDonald played a starring role in the $1.8 million Super Finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Oct. 16, capturing three of the eight season-ending showdowns. “It was just terrific in every way shape and form,” said MacDonald. “I had gone in with high hopes, I mean I had such a good line

2021-10-15T16:39:00-04:00October 15, 2021|

McNair earns fifth Johnston Cup title

Gregg McNair will harness four horses on Saturday’s $1.8 million Super Final night at Woodbine Mohawk Park, capping off his fifth Johnston Cup-winning season as the Ontario Sires Stakes program’s leading trainer. “I used to follow it quite a few years ago, and geez it was a hard thing to win,” said McNair, who won

2021-10-14T14:31:15-04:00October 14, 2021|

Star two-year-olds have taken owners on a thrill ride

When a horse puts together the kind of season Ontario Sires Stakes two-year-old stars Adare Castle, Duly Resolved, Prohibition Legal and Stonebridge Helios have, the experience is a once-in-a-lifetime journey to embrace with both arms, whether you own one or 100 per cent. “We don’t miss a race. There’s four of us in that Gaelic

2021-10-10T02:58:51-04:00October 10, 2021|

2021 Grassroots Championships were a joyful ride

There were buoyant hugs, joyful tears and no fewer than seven first-time post season winners as the top Grassroots pacers and trotters gathered at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday night for their $480,000 season finale. “In this business you get lots of sad and disappointing things, but when you have nights like tonight, when a

2021-10-08T16:29:02-04:00October 8, 2021|

MacDonald poised for first Lampman Cup title

James MacDonald is riding a career-best year into the Ontario Sires Stakes post season. He will drive in all eight Grassroots Championship races at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Oct. 9 and is the regular reinsman for five top three point earners headed towards next weekend’s Super Finals. “Geez, it’s been such a good year.

2021-10-07T14:22:10-04:00October 7, 2021|

Rare gifts powered Sweet Soul David to Saturday’s final

Ancaster resident Pat Lang has worked with a long list of superstar horses, but the trainer puts three-year-old trotting gelding Sweet Soul David — who makes his bid for the 2021 Grassroots Championship this Saturday, Oct. 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park — in a category of his own. “He’s a very special horse. I always