Woodbine Mohawk Park: Curtain drops on 2023 OSS Grassroots Series

Drivers Scott Young, Chris Christoforou and Sylvain Filion all had two wins apiece in the C$75,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series finals for rookie and sophomore pacers and trotters on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Young's victories came courtesy of 2-year-old trotting filly Flirty Dancer (by Lookslikeachpndale and bred by Cynthia Graham and William Woolfrey) in 1:56 2/5 for co-owner/trainer Paul Reid and co-owner Brian Kleinberg and Rick Beinhauer and 3-year-old gelding pacer Winmebak (by Shadow Play and bred by Winbak Farm) in 1:50 4/5 for trainer Nick Gallucci and owner Millar Farms.

"She’s a complete gem," said Young in regards to Flirty Dancer. "I was honored to pick her up in Sarnia. The first time I ever drove her, I told Paul 'I hope I can drive her for the rest of the year.'"

Christoforou found the winner's circle with 2-year-old pacing colt Enforcer (by Big Jim and bred by Seelster Farms) in 1:50 2/5 for trainer Gregg McNair and owners Aaron Waxman, Alan Alber and David Jarvis and 3-year-old trotting filly Pretty Special (by Resolve and bred by Richard Thompson) in 1:53 2/5 for trainer Camilla Christoforou and owner Brad Grant.

"He's a bit of a lazy guy and Chris Matthews, the assistant trainer, told me, 'If you think he's done, he's not. He'll give you a little more if you keep pushing.' So, we kept pushing and he got there," said Christoforou of Enforcer.

"We thought about (moving to the Gold Series), but it was one of those things where it was kind of late. She had done well in the Grassroots, and it was probably an easier spot for her," Christoforou commented about Pretty Special. "Like I said, this filly she has tremendous speed for a piece, but she's very erratic and like I said, it's all Camilla on this one. I'm just a passenger."

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Filion tallied with 3-year-old filly pacer Century Jamila (by Bettor's Delight and bred by Century Spring Farms) in 1:50 4/5 for trainer Shawn Steacy and owners K And K Stable, Landmark 15 Racing Stable, A K Malik Stable and David K. Reid and sophomore trotting colt Kinnder Thinktwice (by Wheeling N Dealin and bred by Denitza Petrova) in 1:53 3/5 for trainer Tyler Moore and owner Mike Hall.

"I was just hoping to get a clean trip and not get locked in," said Filion, referring to the confined trips that limited Century Jamila to third- and fifth-place finishes in her previous two outings. "I was just making sure I could give her some racetrack to go, and she did a great job."

Rounding out this year's Grassroots champions were 2-year-old pacing filly Bonitas Best Bet (by All Bets Off and bred by Doug Millard Farms), who prevailed in 1:51 3/5 for driver Jonathan Drury, trainer Dave Menary and owners Burke Racing Stable LLc., Frank Baldachino, Weaver Bruscemi LLC. and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby and 2-year-old gelding trotters Salem Seelster (by Muscle Mass and bred by Seelster Farms), who turned a first-over trip into a 1:55 3/5 decision for driver Jody Jamieson, trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination.

"She's had such a productive year," said Menary of Bonitas Best Bet. "She's such a willing filly and very, very handy. She's been in the right place at the right time, but she can overcome any kind of trip and you can drive her any way you want. She ended the year on a good note; that's a pretty nice lifetime mark."

"[Assistant trainer Wayne Hafey] explained exactly how [Salem Seelster] would be, and [Salem Seelster] was exactly how he said," Jamieson noted. "Just running in a little bit in the turns and a little choppy-gaited until you got going. High speed and [he’s] got tons of talent. [He] could be anything next year."

--quotes courtesy of the Ontario Sires Stakes--