Woodbine Mohawk Park: Touchedbyanangel defeats Strobe Lite in OSS Gold Series

Touchedbyanangel's second career Ontario Sires Stakes victory was an impressive one.

The gelding overcame post ten and a late charge from 2025 O'Brien Award winner and Super Final champ Strobe Lite to post a lifetime-best 1:53 victory in the lone C$140,000 Gold Series division for sophomore trotting colts and geldings in the fog on Sunday (May 24) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Sent off at 12-1, Touchedbyanangel was sent aggressively toward the front by Doug McNair. The pair were three-wide entering the first turn, and first-over behind Mass Deployment toward the quarter pole. Touchedbyanangel was on top before the half and then faced a two-horse challenge from Mike Me Up (Louis-Philippe Roy) and Dream For Peace (Billy Davis, Jr.) much of the rest of the mile.

Touchedbyanangel eventually put away Mike Me Up and Dream For Peace and then had to hold off 2-5 favorite Strobe Lite (James MacDonald) to win by three-quarters of a length. Dream For Peace was third, D A Masstermind (Trevor Henry) was fourth and Thor B Good (Jonathan Drury) was fifth.

"[MacDonald] had the 2-5 shot [from post nine], and he’s just trying not to get in too much trouble [off the gate],” McNair told Woodbine broadcaster Randy Waples. "I'm on the outside and I have to press and try to cross over, get away near the front, and try to be second or third...I thought I probably had the second- or third-best horse despite having the ten-hole, not that I underestimate him, but the ten-hole is tough. But he overcame it tonight."

Touchedbyanangel is an Archangel gelding out of Rubys Are Nice owned by Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood, ON, the gelding's breeder Blair Corbeil of Leduc, AB, Mike McAllister of Beaumont, AB and Peter Porter of Port Dover, ON. He was purchased for $70,000 U.S. at the 2025 Standardbred Horse Sales Company yearling auction in Harrisburg, PA.

The Gold victory was Touchedbyanangel's first start for trainer Duane Marfisi. At 2, Touchedbyanangel's lone OSS victory came in the final Gold leg of the season.

Touchedbyanangel improved to 2-0-1 in three 2026 starts and 4-1-1 in 15 career outings. He has earned C$98,157 this year and C$288,544 lifetime.

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Blue Jean Gal and HP Crystaline victorious in Gold action for sophomore trotting fillies

Blue Jean Gal and HP Crystaline were victorious on Sunday (May 24) in their respective C$90,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Series divisions for sophomore trotting fillies on an extremely foggy night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

In the first division, in her Gold Series debut, 1-5 favorite Blue Jean Gal posted a 1:54 2/5 lifetime-best victory to remain perfect through three 2026 starts.

James MacDonald was at the lines as the daughter of Trixton out of Pine Knolls improved her career record to 10-0-0 in 12 starts. The filly has earned C$128,862 this year and C$227,362 lifetime.

Starting from post six in the field of nine, MacDonald settled in comfortably in third in the early going behind 99-1 leader Satu Wania (Trevor Henry). Up the backstretch, MacDonald made his move behind the cover of TH Trix R Forkids (Doug McNair). Blue Jean Gal claimed the front right at the half-mile pole and then held off McNair's filly and Cher Hill (Louis-Philippe Roy) in the stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths over the latter. TH Trix R Forkids was third. Satu Wania (Trevor Henry) was fourth and M E Laurel (Jody Jamieson) was fifth.

Blue Jean Gal is trained by Julie Walker. The filly was bred and owned by the late Len Gamble of Etobicoke, ON.

"She just does everything James asks of her, like she did tonight on the front-end," Walker told Woodbine broadcaster Randy Waples. "It's nice when you have a horse that can do it any way."

At 2, Blue Jean Gal won three OSS Grassroots events and then her C$75,000 Grassroots final at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

By the time the second division went to post in race eight, the fog was so thick the horses were barely visible, but from what we can tell, HP Crystaline (Doug McNair) led most of the way, ceded the lead to 6-5 favorite Flowing Tribute in the stretch and then the former fought back to win by a half-length in a lifetime-best 1:55 4/5.

HP Crystaline was sent off at 13-1.

Cupid Hall (Mark MacDonald) was third, Kenogami Bellini (James MacDonald) was fourth and My Classy Queen (Daryl Thiessen) grabbed the final check.

It was the second lifetime win in nine starts for HP Crystaline, both coming in OSS Gold competition.

HP Crystaline is a daughter of Alarm Detector out of HP Bruxelles bred and owned by Claude Hamel of Orfield, QC. He shares ownership of the filly with Jean Denis Pelletier of Shefford, QC.

It was McNair's first drive on the Chantal Mitchell trainee who has earned C$124,616 lifetime.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--