Woodbine Mohawk Park: A Clean Deal doubles up in OSS Gold Series

Doug McNair piloted A Clean Deal up the inside in deep stretch and out-gunned a four-horse calvary charge to the wire to win the lone C$140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Series event for 2-year-old filly pacers on Thursday (July 17) at Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:53 1/5.

The victory kept the daughter of Cattlewash-Ideal Talker undefeated through three lifetime starts and also perfect in OSS action. In the first OSS Gold for 2-year-old pacing fillies, A Clean Deal won in a career-best 1:50 4/5 on July 4 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The most recent Gold was an action-packed seven-horse affair that essentially became a field of six when 3-2 favorite Shes A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras) made a break in the first turn. A Clean Deal took advantage and led the field to the 27 second quarter before relinquishing the lead to Jay (Bob McClure) before the 56 2/5 half. When TH Check Me Out (Tyler Borth) powered toward the front, McNair followed and then got locked in on the rail in third. TH Check Me Out took the field to the 1:23 4/5 three-quarters with Daya (Jody Jamieson) in second and A Clean Deal third. In the stretch the surge was on and A Clean Deal (2-1) squeaked through on the inside to win by a half-length.

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"Obviously, it was a bit of a chess match," McNair told Woodbine Mohawk Park broadcaster John Rallis in the winner's circle. "And Yannick [Gingras] making a break [with Shes A Bulldog] early changed things quite a bit. Bob [McClure driving Jay] made a break leaving the gate as well. So, it was kind of a calvary charge in the first turn. Then, down the backside, Tyler [Borth] coming up [with TH Check Me Out], I had no choice but to come back around Bob. And I didn't mind following Tyler.

"In the last turn, I didn't know how much pace [A Clean Deal] had. I left with her and re-moved her. Also, it's a cold night out here. It's cold and windy; it's not hot like it’s been for the last month or so. So, it was a pretty big effort. I never even got the plugs out. I never had time to get them out. When she got clear track, she paced pretty hard to wire."

A Clean Deal, bred by Winbak Farm and trained by Kyle Fellows, has now earned C$148,000 for owners Yolanda Fellows, Blair Corbeil, Windermere Stable LLC. and James Ross. A Clean Deal was purchased for $20,000 at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--