Favoured Perfectly Chic set a lifetime best of 1:50.4 while winning the $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series Leg 2 event for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday (June 21) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
It was the first win of 2025 in seven outings for the daughter of Betterthancheddar—Fit N Bad bred by Winbak Farm and purchased by her trainer John Pentland of Dorchester, ON, Steve Mihalic of Oakville, ON and 2729346 Ontario Inc. of Rockwood, ON for $12,000 at the 2023 Standardbred Horse Sales Company yearling sale in Harrisburg, PA. It was also Perfectly Chic’s first Gold Series victory.
Chantilly, Canada’s 2024 Horse of the Year, and the winner of the Leg 1 Gold event on May 24 in 1:49.4, was scratched sick.
Perfectly Chic and Bob McClure led the field of seven to the quarter in :27.1 and then allowed Wickedpace (Jody Jamieson), followed by Millie May Hanover (Doug McNair), to control the front through fractions of :55 and 1:22.4. McClure pulled Perfectly Chic coming out of the turn and powered to a 2½ length victory. Wickedpace was second, Wicked N Single (Jonathan Drury) snuck up to be second. Mille May Hanover and Outtathisworld Deo (Trevor Henry) grabbed the final two cheques, respectively.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wvxxYEH8F8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wvxxYEH8F8
The win improved Perfectly Chic to 1-1-2 in seven 2025 starts and 3-5-2 in 14 career outings. Her bankroll is now $129,361 this year and $266,166 lifetime.
With Chantilly’s scratch, Pentland told Woodbine broadcaster John Rallis he was, “a lot more confident we had a shot to win. [Normally] you kind of concede to concede to Chantilly, but you know, it’s a long season too. So, these horses are going to change throughout the year. This is an example right here where she had her turn in the spotlight and made the best of it.
“She had a couple of issues last year that sidelined her mid and late in the season, and she’s trained back really well this year. She was just as good tonight as she ever has been.”
Mihalic said, “I feel bad for Chantilly, but she’ll be back another day. It was a competitive bunch tonight, and it’s just an honor to be standing here [in the winner’s circle].”
GRASSROOTS RESULTS
Also on the Saturday card at Woodbine Mohawk Park were three $25,000 OSS Grassroots Series divisions for sophomore pacing colts. The winners were:
- Out Of Ice (Hes Watching—Warrawee Star) in a career best 1:50.4 for owner/breeders Carl Jamieson, George Harrison, Estate of Brian Paquet, trainer Carl Jamieson and driver Jody Jamieson.
- Readyforprimetime (Bettors Delight—Prescient Beauty) in 1:52.1 for breeder James Avritt, Sr., owners Bill Pollock, Bruce Areman and Andrew Harris, trainer Andrew Harris and driver James MacDonald. Readyforprimetime was purchased for $500,000 at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
- Fifth And Five (Bettors Delight—Filou Fly Fast) in a lifetime best 1:50.3 for breeders Daryl Kaplan of Toronto, Roy Sproxton of Brampton, ON and Harbhajan Dhillon of Brampton, ON, owners Carl Jamieson of Puslinch, ON, 1140545 Ontario Ltd. of Guelph, ON and Trevor Edwards of Kirkton, ON, trainer Carl Jamieson and driver Jody Jamieson.