Woodbine Mohawk Park: Blue Jean Gal speeds to Ontario Sires Stakes record clocking

Blue Jean Gal set a 1:51 3/5 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) record while winning the first of two C$100,000 divisions of the second Gold Series leg for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Sunday (July 12) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Lo And Behold won the second Gold division.

In the first division (Race 3), James MacDonald drove Blue Jean Gal to the record mile, which bettered the previous OSS record of 1:52 shared by Righteous Resolve (2023) and Bright Green (2025). The mile also shaved nearly three seconds off Blue Jean Gal's previous career-best of 1:54 2/5 set on May 24 while winning her Gold division at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Sent off from the rail as the 6-5 second choice in the field of six, Blue Jean Gal settled in third as Barbara May (Doug McNair) led the field to the opening quarter in 26 1/5 with Hp Crystaline (Louis-Philippe Roy) in second. Race favorite Bingo Night (3-5, Tyler Jones) was out and moving after the quarter and on top by the 55 3/5 half-mile station. Blue Jean Gal started making her move before Bingo Night led the field to the three-quarters in 1:23 3/5. In the stretch, Blue Jean Gal and Bingo Night battled before the former chugged away to win by 3 1/2 lengths over the latter. Barbara May was third, followed by Satu Wania (Jody Jamieson) and Ronda May K (Trevor Henry), respectively.

Blue Jean Gal, a homebred daughter of Trixton out of Pine Knolls, is now 4-1-0 in six 2026 starts, and has a lifetime record of 11-1-0 in 15 outings. She has earned C$200,012 this year and C$298,512 lifetime. She paid $4.70 to win on Sunday. The filly, trained by Julie Walker, was bred by the late Len Gamble of Etobicoke, ON, and is owned by Gamble Farms Ont Ltd. of Fergus, ON.

MacDonald told Woodbine broadcaster John Rallis that Walker and her team had made some equipment changes on Blue Jean Gal.

"We've been pretty cautious with her, just getting her around, racing her off-the-pace, even grinding first-up," MacDonald said. "But we haven't really asked her to snap yet, and Julie thought it was time. She made a shoeing change, took the hood off and put in the plugs. So, my plan was to blast.

"But they were just trotting so hard off the gate, I had to kind of call an audible, and then I knew I was in a bad spot, but the horse was just so great, she overcame it. So, kudos to them. They did they did all the hard work."

Walker said Blue Jean Gal "always gives us her top effort," but "we had changes to make, and it was time to make them. We've been patient with her...She was racing in plastic shoes, and it was time to get real. It was time to race."

At 2, Blue Jean Gal won three OSS Grassroots events and then her C$75,000 Grassroots Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park. This year, she's stepped up to win two Golds and finish second in the other.

Walker said Blue Jean Gal will be pointed toward Grand Circuit competition later in the year, but will not leave Canada to race.

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The second division (Race 7) initially was recalled after Flowing Tribute had an equipment malfunction. But, a few minutes later, the field of seven was off and trotting in a race that produced some big mutual numbers when Lo And Behold (Louis-Philippe Roy) edged 38-1 shot M E Laurel (Mark MacDonald) by a head in 1:53.

The mile was a career-best for Lo And Behold, a daughter of Green Manalishi S out of Beholder bred by Prince Lee Acres of Uxbridge, ON, owned by Bill Donovan of Delray Beach, FL, and trained by Meg Crone.

It was just the second lifetime win for Lo And Behold in 15 starts and the first in 2026. The C$50,000 pay day upped her bankroll to C$153,269 lifetime - C$87,399 of it coming this year.

Race favorite Th Trix R Forkids (James MacDonald) left well off the gate and led the field to the 26 3/5 quarter. Cher Hill (McNair) claimed the front shortly after and was in front at the 55 3/5. Th Trix R Forkids was back in command by the three-quarters in 1:24 3/5, but in the lane, despite a battle looming with second choice Flowing Tribute (Bob McClure), both fillies tired, allowing Roy to shoot up the middle with Lo And Behold and Mark MacDonald to shoot up the inside with M E Laurel.

Th Trix R Forkids held on for third followed by Flowing Tribute and Cher Hill.

"When we got down the lane, Bob's horses was drifting out, and Dougie's seemed tired." Roy said. "I had room in between them. I didn't think I was going to win at that point until [Lo And Behold] came in between, and then I really asked her. She went forward there, and right then I was just trying to resist Mark's filly...coming on the inside there."

Lo And Behold paid $27.60 to win.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--