Blue Jean Gal and HP Crystaline were victorious on Sunday (May 24) in their respective $90,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Series divisions for sophomore trotting fillies on an extremely foggy night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
In the first division, in her Gold Series debut, 1-5 favourite Blue Jean Gal (above) posted a 1:54.2 lifetime-best victory to remain perfect through three 2026 starts.
James MacDonald was at the reins as the daughter of Trixton out of Pine Knolls improved her career record to 10-0-0 in 12 starts. The filly has earned $128,862 this year and $227,362 lifetime.
Starting from Post 6 in the field of nine, MacDonald settled in comfortably in third in the early going behind 99-1 leader Satu Wania (Trevor Henry). Up the backstretch, MacDonald made his move behind the cover of TH Trix R Forkids (Doug McNair). Blue Jean Gal claimed the front right at the half-mile pole and then held off McNair’s filly and Cher Hill (Louis-Philippe Roy) in the stretch to win by 1 ½ lengths over the latter. TH Trix R Forkids was third. Satu Wania (Trevor Henry) was fourth and M E Laurel (Jody Jamieson) was fifth.
Blue Jean Gal is trained by Julie Walker. The filly was bred and owned by the late Len Gamble of Etobicoke, ON.
“She just does everything James asks of her, like she did tonight on the front end,” Walker told Woodbine broadcaster Randy Waples. “It’s nice when you have a horse that can do it any way.”
At 2, Blue Jean Gal won three OSS Grassroots events and then her $75,000 Grassroots Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
By the time the second division went to post in race 8, the fog was so thick the horses were barely visible, but from what we can tell, HP Crystaline (Doug McNair) led most of the way, ceded the lead to 6-5 favourite Flowing Tribute in the stretch and then the former fought back to win by a half-length in a lifetime-best 1:55.4.
HP Crystaline was sent off at 13-1.
Cupid Hall (Mark MacDonald) was third, Kenogami Bellini (James MacDonald) was fourth and My Classy Queen (Daryl Thiessen) grabbed the final cheque.
It was the second lifetime win in nine starts for HP Crystaline, both coming in OSS Gold competition.
HP Crystaline is a daughter of Alarm Detector out of HP Bruxelles bred and owned by Claude Hamel of Orfield, QC. He shares ownership of the fill with Jean Denis Pelletier of Shefford, QC.
It was McNair’s first drive on the Chantal Mitchell trainee who has earned $124,616 lifetime.