A triumphant return to Woodbine Mohawk Park

Nijinsky (Bettors Delight) made a triumphant return to Woodbine Mohawk Park, following his North America Cup victory, to capture the $150,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Mid-Season Final on Saturday, July 20.

Driver Louis-Philippe Roy opted for a strategic approach, initially tucking Nijinsky into fourth place at the quarter in :26.4. The colt made a decisive move on the backstretch, taking the lead and setting fractions of :55.1 and 1:23.3 without facing outside pressure. As they entered the home stretch, Storm Shadow (Bob McClure) posed a lingering threat from the pocket but couldn't overtake Nijinsky, who secured a 1:50.2 victory by a length and a quarter.

Storm Shadow finished second, with Crush Kill Destroy (Doug McNair) trailing by three and a half lengths in third place.

This win marked Nijinsky’s eighth in 18 lifetime starts and pushed his earnings into the seven-digit territory, now totalling $1,044,082. The colt, who is seven-for-eight this year, has also secured victories in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold series, Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, and North America Cup. He is trained by Tony Beaton and owned by West Wins Stable, John Fielding, and Mark Dumain.

Its A Love Thing (Bettors Delight), ranked fourth in the weekly Top Ten Poll, also crossed the million-dollar earnings milestone with her win in the $150,000 OSS Gold Mid-Season Final for three-year-old pacing fillies.

Initially positioned fifth, Its A Love Thing advanced with second-over cover as the field went through early fractions of :26.2 and :53.3. She moved to second-over cover entering the final turn, progressing through three-quarters in 1:21.4, and took the lead down the stretch. Pass Line (Doug McNair) made a closing effort but fell half a length short as Its A Love Thing, eased up, and crossed the line in 1:49.2. Odds On Platinum (Sylvain Filion) secured third after a first-over battle.

This victory marked Its A Love Thing’s 11th in 19 starts and extended her streak of stakes wins, which began in the Fan Hanover Stakes. She has now earned $1,068,974 under the guidance of trainer Dave Menary and is owned by Eric Good, Thomas Biederman, Josh Green, and Rich Lombardo Racing. Her notable wins this year include the Jerry Silverman Memorial, SBOA Stakes, and an OSS Gold leg.

On the same card, Redwood Hanover (Stay Hungry) achieved his first win in 20 starts, setting a lifetime mark of 1:49. The Beaton-trained stallion dominated his conditioned opponents in a coast-to-coast performance, winning by eight and a quarter lengths. Redwood Hanover, a former Grand Circuit contender, now boasts six wins in 32 lifetime starts with earnings of $311,992. His previous win was on June 3, 2023, in the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes.

The next event at Woodbine Mohawk Park will be on Monday, July 22, featuring the $36,000 Preferred-Handicap Trot. The first post is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT.