Woodbine Mohawk Park: Defending Super Final champ prepares for title defense in final Gold leg

2021 Super Final champion Prohibition Legal has been out of action for two months and will make her return in the one of two C$104,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Monday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The daughter of Big Jim was nearly flawless as a freshman, making nine starts and winning eight of them en route to an O'Brien Award for Canada's top pacing female 2-year-old.

Her sophomore record was 0-2-2 through five starts for trainer Nick Gallucci when stomach issues extended some planned time off after racing in a Gold division on July 8 at Mohawk.

"She's doing really well," said Gallucci. "It was kind of a plan to give her a bit of a break. We were hoping to have her back from the Simcoe (on September 10 at Woodbine Mohawk Park), but I didn't get her trained down as fast as I would like."

After a careful training plan to set up her return, Prohibition Legal qualified in 1:52 3/5 on September 13 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, winning by four lengths on the strength of a 26 3/5 final panel.

"We made sure she had a lot of miles and was ready for that qualifier," said Gallucci. "She had lots left, and the plan was always to go one qualifier and one race."

As for what she will have in the tank on Monday night, the Millar Farms homebred will be ready.

"She'll put her best foot forward," said Gallucci. "I don't know if she's as tight as some of the other fillies are because they have a lot more races underneath them this year, but if she is half the filly I think she could be then she has a really good chance."

James MacDonald has been tipped for the drive. He will sit behind Prohibition Legal and leave from post four in race eight.

Division leader Silver Label drew one post inside her stablemate on Monday night, as she looks to continue her impressive sophomore campaign.

The Bettor's Delight filly has a mark of 5-2-0 from ten starts this season, and the Millar Farms homebred is aiming for her third consecutive Gold score after off-the-board finishes in her first two OSS starts this year.

"I'm hoping she finishes the season strong," said Gallucci. "We haven't over raced her. She's only raced in one overnight this year; other than that it's been all stakes races, so hopefully she still has a few starts left in her. Coming into this race, she is in good form."

Doug McNair will be in the race bike behind Silver Label, appointed the 8-5 second morning line choice behind 6-5 Prohibition Legal.

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Gallucci's has a third entrant in the Gold action, Velvet Stinger, who is the 2-1 first choice in race three, the other Gold division, with MacDonald driving.

The daughter of Bettor's Delight is also a Millar Farms homebred and comes to the final Gold leg of the season off a win in the Simcoe where she tracked down Silver Label in a blistering 26 second final quarter.

"She's been a really pleasant surprise," said Gallucci. "It seems like she's as a good as she's been all year as she is right now, so we will see how things work out."

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--