MILTON, Aug. 5, 2024 – Rookie trotters Monalishi (Green Manalishi S) and You Got It Kemp (Muscle Mass) captured a pair of $150,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Mid-Season Finals Monday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Picking up her third straight victory, the Blake Macintosh-trained filly finished in a career-best time of 1:54.2, and put up quarter splits of :27.2, :57 and 1:25.3 before cruising to victory by 1-1/4 lengths.
Having piloted her in all four of her starts so far, driver Jody Jamieson has been impressed with what he’s seen.
“She just has a real will to win,” said Jamieson of Monalishi. “Lots of horses can go and can go first or you can make them go fast, but they kind of have to want to do it and I think she’s showed here perfectly tonight that she wanted to do it.”
While in the winner’s circle with Monalishi, Jamieson was honoured by Woodbine Mohawk Park Monday for surpassing $150 million in career earnings, becoming the first Canadian-based driver to accomplish the feat.
“It’s obviously a feather in my cap,” said Jamieson, who reached the milestone after guiding Lous World to victory on Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park. “I watched John Campbell, Chris Christoforou and Randy Waples and all of these guys lead this place [Woodbine Mohawk Park] for years and years and to be the only driver to get past $150 million I feel real good about it. I feel that it’s a real cool thing and it means a lot to me.”
Monalishi was bred by Shumel Farhi (London, Ont.), and is owned by Macintosh (St. George, Ont.) and Tim Klemencic (Trenton, Ont.).
You Got It Kemp took Monday’s other Gold Mid-Season Final for two-year-old trotting males in a time of 1:55.1
A slight upset winner at 7-1, the Daniel Lagace-trained, Sylvain Filion-driven gelding showed great competitive spirit, managing to chase down the leader for the majority of the race, Galen Erso (Green Manalishi S), from fifth position heading into the final stretch to win by a half-length at the wire.
“He wants to do it,” said Filion of You Got It Kemp. “No matter how you place him in the race, when you move him, he wants to go. So, that’s an advantage when you have a horse like this that’s so young but he knows that he wants to go as soon as you move him.”
This was You Got It Kemp’s second career victory in three starts in his young career.
He’s owned by Brady, Brooke and Daniel Lagace (Cambridge, Ont.) and Suojalampi Stable Inc. (Delray Beach, Fla.), and was bred by Suojalampi Stable Inc. and Kemppi Stables Oy Inc. (Delray Beach, Fla.).
Monday’s 10-race card was opened by a $40,000 OSS Gold Mid-Season Consolation race for two-year-old trotting males, with Shutter Green, another Green Manalishi S son, winning for trainer Mark Etsell and driver Todd Ratchford.
Complete results from Monday’s program are available here, and replays can be viewed on the Woodbine Mohawk Park website.
The next OSS Gold Series event is Aug. 12, with the fourth leg of the three-year-old trotting fillies competing at Grand River Raceway.
FEATURED PHOTO: Monalishi winning an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Mid-Season Final race at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, Aug. 5 (Clive Cohen/New Image Media)