Eight new Ontario Sires Stakes divisional champions were crowned on Saturday night as this season's provincial stars faced off in the $2 million Super Finals at Mohawk Racetrack.
The 40th anniversary season of the Ontario Sires Stakes concluded with three-year-old trotting filly Riveting Rosie defending her divisional title and giving driver Paul MacDonell his second Super Final victory of the night and record 16th since the championship races were introduced in 2000. He was also victorious with two-year-old pacing filly Code One Hanover. Chris Christoforou also picked up a pair of trophies sweeping the two-year-old colt divisions with pacer Reverend Hanover and trotter Dont Rush. Full recaps of all eight championships are below.
Two-year-old trotting filly division point leader Danielle Hall concluded her first Ontario Sires Stakes season on top as she wore down Peaceful Way Stakes champion and race favourite Stubborn Belle en route to victory in the first Super Final of the night.
Danielle Hall protected her pocket position early on and followed insider Stubborn Belle (Paul MacDonell) through fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:25. Driver Jody Jamieson pulled Danielle Hall from the two-hole nearing the third quarter mark, collared Stubborn Belle down the stretch and held off the oncoming Muscle Baby Doll (Doug McNair) by three-quarters of a length for the 1:54.1 triumph. Danielle Hall paid $10.60 to win as the 4-1 second choice in the wagering. Stubborn Belle settled for third.
Danielle Hall shaved one full second off her lifetime mark that she had established in the Champlain Stakes at Mohawk back on Aug. 28. The winning time was just two-fifths of a second off Bee A Magician's stakes record.
“I really didn’t see the race turning out like that," commented Jamieson after the victory. "I thought that Mac [MacDonell] would let a couple go and re-move, but his filly got off on a real good foot tonight. I was a little bit behind the eight ball making sure I closed up the two hole when it was there following Stubborn Belle there was no other trip.
“I wasn’t confident in pulling that early, but Dougie [McNair] was coming with a really nice filly [Muscle Baby Doll], trained by Tony O’Sullivan, she’s been sprinting by me or close to me all year. My mare felt so good I just I said ‘well, it’s now or never.’ There was still about three-eighths left, but she showed tonight she’s a pretty nice animal."
Jamieson's father Carl trains and co-owns the Deweycheatumnhowe-Debbie Hall filly with Winnipeg Racing of Concord, Ont.
Injured early on while training down in Florida, the smart filly has filled out and prospered since. Danielle Hall is now seven-for-10 in her debut season with earnings climbing to $378,110.
After the race, trainer John Bax commented on Stubborn Belle's performance. "She was j