Woodbine Mohawk Park: Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals held

Grand Circuit winners Righteous Resolve and Stockade Seelster were among the champions in the C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Righteous Resolve, who beat open company in the Peaceful Way and Champlain, brushed from fourth to first after the 27 2/5 opening quarter in the Super Final for rookie trotting fillies, and she would go on to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:54 4/5 for driver Paul MacDonell, trainer John Bax, and owners/breeders Bet Max Stables Inc. and Benenati Inc. Righteous Resolve won for the eighth time in nine attempts and has now earned C$536,224.

"I mean, she's so professional in everything she does and she makes my job real easy, so she's way up there in the top echelon of trotting fillies, for sure," MacDonell said about the daughter of Resolve. "My job is just to keep her out of trouble and make sure we have a clear path and no nonsense. That's what I try to do - try to keep her quiet and just let her do the rest, and she does it."

Stockade Seelster, the Metro champion, worked his way into the top spot coming to the 54 2/5 in the Super Final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings, and he couldn't be caught from there, tallying by two lengths in 1:50 1/5 for driver Jody Jamieson, trainer Dr. Ian Moore, and owners Sally and Paul MacDonald. Stockade Seelster, by State Treasurer and bred by Seelster Farms, also has eight triumphs in nine starts, and he has pocketed C$855,100.

"I was concerned that he may be a little short tonight," said Moore. "It's very difficult with a 2-year-old late in the year especially when you consider that he's had the harness on for one year now. He started in October of last year. You wouldn't do that with an aged horse.

"I gave him a whole week off and then we jogged him one week. Jody trained him on the Friday when I was down in PEI for my daughter's wedding, and we trained him again on Thursday this week. So, I was concerned and maybe that's why the last quarter wasn't so quick, but he got the job done and hopefully should be ready for the Breeders Crown, that's our next step."

Louis-Philippe Roy was the only driver or trainer to win more than one Super Final. He connected in the 2-year-old colt and gelding trot with DWs Point Man, a My MVP gelding bred by Dr. Jeff Ruch and trained by Richard Moreau for owners Ecurie CSL and 91747998 Quebec Inc. and in the 3-year-old filly trot with Mischevious Rose, who rallied by divisional leader Adare Castle for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination. A daughter of Muscle Mass, Mischevious Rose was bred by Hayley and James Moore.

Cheesy Smile (Bob McClure) used a 27 3/5 last quarter to rally from sixth at three-quarters to the 1:51 1/5 win in the 2-year-old filly pace. By Betterthancheddar and bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., the victorious filly is trained by John Pentland, who also co-owns her with Cindy Molyneux, Peter Charlton, and Archie Leach.

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Silver Label (Doug McNair) rallied out of the pocket in the lane and beat fellow Millar Farms homebred/Nick Gallucci-trained Prohibition Legal in the 3-year-old filly pace. The Bettor's Delight filly stopped the teletimer in a career-best 1:50 2/5.

The biggest upset in the Super Finals came in the 3-year-old colt and gelding trot when 10-1 shot Safe Conduct (Chris Christoforou) vaulted off a third-over trip and took a 1 3/4 length decision. Trained by Camilla Christoforou, Safe Conduct, an Archangel gelding, was bred in partnership by Charalambos Christoforou and is now co-owned by him with partner Irvann Holdings Inc.

Rounding out the champions was Cold Creek Queso (Sylvain Filion) in the 3-year-old colt and gelding pace. He looped from third to first beyond the 26 4/5 opening quarter and romped to a 5 1/4 length victory in 1:50 for trainer Murray Brethour. Bred by Debora Stokes, the winning Betterthancheddar gelding is owned by Cold Creek Standardbred.

--quotes from the Ontario Sires Stakes--