Woodbine Mohawk Park: Favorites toppled in OSS Super Finals for sophomores

It was a zero-for-four night for the chalk in Saturday's C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals for 3-year-olds at Woodbine Mohawk Park as Believe U Me, One Last Wish, Ghostly Casper and Moment Is Here came up with the victories.

Righteous Resolve (James MacDonald) led through fractions of 26, 56 2/5 and 1:26 1/5 in the filly trot, but Believe U Me (Louis-Philippe Roy), a 15-1 shot, wore her down from first-over and pulled clear in the stretch to prevail by a length and a half in 1:54 3/5. Baroness Hill (Doug McNair) got caught in the pocket behind the fading Righteous Resolve and had to settle for a late-gaining second and Stonebridge Bravo (Jonathan Drury) collected third.

"She doesn't really like the front. There was one time she raced in Saratoga and she wanted to run out of the race track when you put her on the front, so even going into the last turn she was feeling pretty good, but I had mixed feelings. I didn't want to clear her too early," Roy explained. "I saw Righteous Resolve was kind of tired there, and I was scared if I cleared her too early how mine would react, but at some point she was feeling so good that she just went by by herself. I was just making sure I was keeping her attention, and she was just feeling really good."

Dave Menary trains Believe U Me, by Muscle Mass and bred by Wiesman Farms, for owner W.J. Donovan. This was her sixth career win, she has now banked C$315,484 and paid $32.60 to win.

"I was happy with the week she had. I really touted her to Louis. Ike's Dream raced earlier in the night, and she trained with him on Saturday and Tuesday and went right on by him," said Menary. "She's kind of a tricky mare to drive, but we had a bad post, and I was very confident in letting him go forward. Louis did a great job. I didn't think she could be first up that way, but everything fell into place tonight, and I'm happy to be standing here."

In the filly pace, One Last Wish (Paul MacDonell) hit the quarter in 26 4/5 and then yielded to sit in the pocket behind Momentary Control (Tyler Jones) at the 55 second half. Momentary Control kept the top spot through three-quarters in 1:23 3/5 and in to the lane, but MacDonell angled One Last Wish to the outside, and she was able to get by Momentary Control inside the last eighth to score by a length and a quarter in 1:51 4/5. Momentary Control held second from Talk Curdy To Me (Roy).

"She really came along. Last year she was a good Grassrooter. This year, I could tell when she qualified that she was going to be able to step it up, and I said to (trainer) Kenny [Sucee], 'She probably will be a Gold filly this year,'" MacDonell remarked. "I didn't think she'd be this good, but she definitely stepped it up."

Bred by owners Brian and Dr. David Legge, One Last Wish picked up her ninth victory in her 27th career start. She has now earned C$447,802 and returned $14.30 to win after being sent off at 6-1.

"It's genuinely full circle," said Sucee. "We had the mother [Arts Diva] so many years ago, and the Legges as owners for so long now, and to have the last one of the mare, that's why they named her One Last Wish. To do this, and what she's done this year, is just beyond words for me. I've just been blessed, you know, get up in the morning and love to see her, that's all. They don't come along very often so I'm going to cherish this and cherish her."

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Ghostly Casper (Tyler Borth) never saw the pylons in the colt and gelding trot and lost the cover he was following before the 1:23 4/5 three-quarters, but he still stormed into the lead in mid-stretch and then trotted on to a 5 1/4 length triumph in 1:53. Tuscan Prince (Roy), who got to the top from post ten past the 26 4/5 quarter and then battled with a first-over Osceola (McNair) to the 55 second half and around the final bend, was a game second, and Musical Ride (Sylvain Filion) got up for third at 92-1.

"He's a pleasure to drive and I can't say enough good things about him. He does anything that you want," stated Borth, who picked up the biggest win of his career so far. "It's awesome. If you'd have asked me this time last year if I'd be standing here with you right now, I would have told you that you were crazy.

"I was planning on getting him out of there a little bit but he just didn't get off the gate. He felt like he didn't quite have his feet under him, so I wasn't happy where I was during the first turn."

Trainer Ben Baillargeon also co-owns Ghostly Casper, a Resolve colt bred by Diane Ingham and Harry Rutherford, with partners Teresa Davidson, Santo Vena and Nunzio Vena. He has a summary of 4-9-5 from 28 outings, has put away C$619,179 and paid $12.30 to win as a 5-1 shot.

"Tyler's been driving him amazing. He suits the horse perfect," Santo Vena said.

Moment Is Here (Tim Tetrick) shot through from the pole position to take the field to a quarter of 27 seconds in the colt and gelding pace, then yielded to Stockade Seelster (Jody Jamieson) in the second quarter. Stockade Seelster was the boss at the half, which was posted in 55 2/5 and the three-quarters, which was hit in 1:23 1/5, but Tetrick had Moment Is Here out for the drive, and he forged his way by Stockade Seelster. From there, Moment Is Here had to hold off Write Me A Rose (Filion), who was in tight quarters behind horses, and he was able to do so, prevailing by a length in 1:50 2/5. Stockade Seelster lasted over Macs Delight (Andy McCarthy) for third.

"I got right where I wanted to be off the rail, and I only had to go 27 to get that spot. When Jody came my horse settled really good and tracked him really well. When it was time to go, we pulled and the horse did the rest, I didn't fall off," Tetrick said.

The victorious All Bets Off gelding was bred by trainer Bob McIntosh and is co-owned by him with partners Al McIntosh Holdings, Frank Baldachino and Mardon Stables. Moment Is Here made his seventh appearance in the winner's circle, has pocketed C$686,721, and returned $14.00 to win after being dispatched at 6-1.