Woodbine Mohawk Park: Righteous Resolve keeps streak going in OSS Gold Series

Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells famously said, "you are what your record says you are," and Righteous Resolve's record is screaming from the rooftops that she is the top 2-year-old trotting filly in Ontario.

Freshman trotters wrapped up their Ontario Sires Stakes Gold campaign on Monday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and the Resolve filly won a C$101,300 division to improve to 7-1-0 in eight starts.

Four C$100,000-plus OSS divisions were on the card, two apiece for males and females, and the action got underway in race two with Righteous Resolve lining up against five challengers after Northern Charlotte was a late scratch.

Paul MacDonell wasted no time sending the 1-9 favorite to the front from post seven and leading the field through an opening panel of 27 4/5. After the half went in 57 2/5, it was business as usual for the filly, who eventually pulled away for the three length score in 1:54 3/5.

"Paul does a great job with her," said assistant trainer Matt Bax. "I feel like he got a little bit of a breather to the half, and he just let her trot out, which she wanted to do. Later on, in the next couple of starts, that's going to go a long way to helping her."

A Bet Max Stables and Benenati Inc. homebred, Righteous Resolve came into tonight riding a five-race win streak that included a win in the C$362,000 Peaceful Way final, and was capped by a six length score in the Champlain where she established a new stakes record of 1:53 1/5.

"I'd say she is very powerful and professional the way she handles herself," sad Bax. "With a 2-year-old filly, that goes a long way."

The C$225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final on October 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park is up next for Righteous Resolve, and after that, a date with the Breeders Crown on October 28-29 at the Milton oval.

A pair of Muscle Mass fillies completed the trifecta. Mass Hysteria was second for trainer Kyle Bossence with Trevor Henry driving, and Louis Philippe-Roy drove Rob Fellows trainee Cardio Muscle to a third-place finish.

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The middle two Ontario Sires Stakes divisions were upsets, with Tuscan Prince paying $18.40 in the fourth race, a C$103,100 division for colts and geldings, and Shiny New Penny breaking her maiden at 7-1 in race six, the other C$100,400 filly division.

Leaving from post eight, Bob McClure held Tuscan Prince (Kadabra) off the pace established by Snowpiercer and Dws Point Man, who exchanged the lead through panels of 27 2/5, 57 1/5, and 1:26 1/5, and were dueling up front as the field spun for home. McClure found racing room four-wide down the stretch, and the Luc Blais trainee trotted home in 27 3/5 to establish a new lifetime mark of 1:54 4/5 and earn his third OSS win this season after a pair of Grassroots scores earlier in the campaign.

"He kind of forced them into putting him into the Golds because he's raced so good," said McClure. "He's been well- managed for sure, and I wouldn't want to have anything else going into the Super Final."

Shiny New Penny is from the first crop of Alarm Detector and is the freshman stallion's second winner. Last time out, the Jean Tournigy trainee made a misstep while battling the aforementioned Righteous Resolve on the lead, but tonight Louis-Philippe Roy was careful leaving from the pylon post, sitting back in fourth through the 29 2/5 first panel.

Roy left the pylons on cover behind Its Your Choice and was out in front by the time the field passed the half in 58 2/5. His filly had plenty of trot left, and she crossed the wire in front by length in a time of 1:56 2/5.

"I think I made a mistake trying to follow that good filly of Bax in her last start," said Roy. "We were going pretty fast there. Tonight, my plan was just to get her in good position, and I was pretty confident she would come out the best of it."

Santo Vena, Nunzio Vena and Diane Ingham own Shiny New Penny, who nearly tripled her earnings with the win to over C$84,000.

The final OSS race of the evening was race seven, and 8-5 favorite Osceola emerged victorious. Driven and trained by Doug and Gregg McNair, respectively, the Muscle Mass colt had an up-and-down summer after impressing early on with a pair of back-to-back Gold wins.

He was on his game tonight, firing to the lead from post five and cutting the mile in 1:55 1/5 to win by a head over a late-charging Hasty Bid.

"He's a little aggressive sometimes, and turns aren't his forte, but he's got a ton of trot and speed as you can see," said Doug. "I figured tonight in the five-hole it's a real good spot to leave and get him slowed down by the turn, and it worked out."

The win pushed him over C$160,000 in earnings for owners Gregg McNair, Willow Oak Ranch, and Paul Hawman.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--