Toronto, ON --- Mohawk Racetrack’s 2016 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) season got off to a rousing start on Saturday evening (June 4) as fans were treated to a pair of thrilling miles by the 3-year-old pacing fillies.
The first C$105,000 division lined up behind the gate in the second race and less than two minutes later Frank Cirillo was holding a trophy he has been trying to win for over a decade.
“Finally, after 11 years; I’m losing my voice already; it’s been fantastic,” said an ebullient Cirillo from the winner’s circle after cheering Cracklin Rosie home. “It’s been one of our dreams to win an OSS Gold for the longest time and it finally happened.”
When favorites Good Will Hanover and Thatsoveryverynice made early miscues, the first division was thrown wide open. Starting from post seven, lightly regarded Cracklin Rosie and driver Phil Hudon of Guelph, ON were sitting well back in sixth when Lady Marina hit the opening quarter in a sharp :25.3, but had rolled up the outside to draw within five lengths of the leaders by the :55.4 half.
Continuing to roll along on the outside, Cracklin Rosie was just one-quarter length behind pacesetter Lay Lady Lay at the 1:24.2 three-quarters, and as her connections roared their encouragement she sprinted home in :27 to claim a half-length victory in 1:51.2.
The win was Cracklin Rosie’s first in Ontario Sires Stakes competition and her first for Kleinburg resident Cirillo and his partners Aaron Waxman of Carlisle, ON, Alan Alber of Thornhill, ON and Terri Lynn McNair of Guelph. Waxman, Cirillo and McNair bought into the Badlands Hanover daughter just two weeks ago, acquiring their share from trainer/breeder Luc Ouellette while Alber retained his ownership, and the group sent the filly to trainer James Ciaran Morrison of Harley, ON.
“Aaron just absolutely loved the horse and said, ‘Frank, I think we have a really good Grassroots horse, but we’ll start her off in the Gold and see what happens,’ and she’s just turned out to be a fantastic acquisition,” said Cirillo. “She’s just been a dream come true.”
Finishing behind Cracklin Rosie in the first division were Lay Lady Lay and Southwind Tango.
The second C$105,000 division featured last season’s champion L A Delight, who was looking for a return to the winner’s circle after being upset by Good Will Hanover in the May 28 SBOA Final. Starting from post seven, driver Randy Waples of Milton, ON sent L A Delight straight to the front and wasted no time sitting in the pocket when fan favorite Mayhem Seelster circled around to take control just after the :26.4 opening quarter.
Waples looked completely confident in his charge through fractions of :55.4 and 1:24.3 and L A Delight cruised home a one-length winner in 1:51.4.
Bad As Leader and Mayhem Seelster finished in a tight battle for second and third.
“She looked like a different filly this week,” said Al McIntosh, who shares ownership of L A Delight with trainer Bob McIntosh of Windsor, ON and C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH. “Maybe she just needed a race or two to get back in the groove. You can train and you can qualify and everything, but racing is racing.”
The win was L A Delight’s 13th in 15 lifetime starts and it boosted her earnings to $C783,201. And while Al McIntosh and his partners have a 2-year-old full sister to the champion in the barn, the Leamington, ON resident was not about to make any predictions about her prospects in this year’s freshman OSS program.
“I don’t get too high on them,” said the long-time owner and breeder. “This filly last year was the biggest surprise I’ve had in all the years I’ve been in business, because when she trained she was very lackadaisical and the day she saw the starting gate everything changed. So you never know.”
L A Delight and Cracklin Rosie will look to defend their early season crowns when the sophomore pacing fillies return to Mohawk Racetrack for their second Gold Series start on Thursday(July 9).
Next up on the Campbellville oval’s OSS schedule is the Gold Series season debut for the 3-year-old trotting fillies on Monday (June 13).