As the final preparations are completed for Saturday night’s $2 million Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals at Mohawk Racetrack, Ontario Racing asked harness racing participants to share their favourite Super Final memories. Driver Jody Jamieson starts things off with his first Super Final victory…
Jody Jamieson,
three-time Lampman Cup winning driver (2000, ’04, ’06) —
The three-year-old pacing colt and gelding Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 14, 2006:
"Definitely it was Doonbeg! He was the fan and race favourite and he actually gave me my first Super Final win. I was like fourth over and really didn’t have him in a good position to win the race! In typical Doonbeg fashion he simply overcame the drive and the trip and beat some really nice colts."
Dave Briggs, at the time the editor of The Canadian Sportsman —
Three-year-old pacing colt and gelding Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Nov. 15, 2008:
“My favourite memory was riding along with Paul MacDonell the night Somebeachsomewhere raced in the Super Finals in 2008 (Nov. 15). I knew it was going to be Beach’s last start in Ontario and I arranged to drive to Paul’s house and ride with him that night. The weather was terrible and the winner’s circle presentations were all inside the Thoroughbred paddock under the Woodbine grandstand and there was a huge crowd there supporting Somebeachsomewhere in the winner’s circle. There were so many people it filled most of the open space in the paddock. Paul was incredibly thoughtful both on the way to Woodbine and back. He was thrilled to drive the horse of a lifetime, but sad it was coming to an end. Great driver. Great guy. Fantastic horse. An incredible memory.”
Doug McNair, 2014 Lampman Cup winning driver —
Three-year-old pacing filly Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 10, 2015:
“It would probably be last year, with Solar Sister. I drove two there kind of all year and halfway down the lane the other one that I was driving, the other one of Dad’s (Glamour Seelster), actually had a lead by about a length, or two lengths, and I just kind of nailed her at the wire. I thought for a second I was going to be second to the one I booked off of, and I ended up getting her right at the wire, so that was probably the best moment. They’re tough races to win, the Super Finals.”
Ken Middleton, announcer at Mohawk and Woodbine Racetracks —
The 1994 class of three-year-old trotting colts and geldings
The first Super Final was contested in 2000, but announcer Ken Middleton’s favourite Ontario Sires Stakes memory dates back to the 1994 season when three-year-old trotting geldings Armbro Marshall, Goodtimes and Glorys Comet battled week in and week out in Gold Series Eliminations and Finals all over Ontario. Armbro Marshall would win the division title with $250,347 in OSS earnings, but 1994 was just the start of a near decade long rivalry between the sons of Balanced Image. Both Armbro Marshall and Goodtimes would go on to represent Canada in Europe, and Goodtimes and Glorys Comet would both exceed $2 million in earnings. Trained by Bill Wellwood and owned by Wellwood Stables throughout his career, Armbro Marshall retired in 2001 with earnings of $947,288. Trainer George Peters bred and owned Glorys Comet through his Brylin Stable, retiring the winner of $2,057,695 in 2002. Goodtimes was trained by John Bax and owned by Bax’s Parkhill Stud Farm and Liberty North through a $2,243,416 winning career that came to a close in 2003. Five other members of the Ontario Sires Stakes class of 1994, three sons of Balanced Image and two sons of Dream Of Glory, would also go on to earnings of more than $400,000 in their aged careers.
Casie Coleman, trainer —
Two-year-old pacing colt and gelding Super Final at Mohawk Racetrack on Oct. 11, 2014 and three-year-old pacing colt and gelding Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 10, 2015:
“All of them are great, obviously, but I’ll say Reverend Hanover, as he won it at two and three and overcame his issues both years to win Super Finals. And him being a Sportswriter was more special to me.”
Chris Christoforou, Jr., driver —
Super Final night 2015 when he won the two-year-old pacing colt and gelding title with Betting Line, defended the three-year-old pacing colt and gelding title with Reverend Hanover and defended the three-year-old trotting colt and gelding title with Dont Rush
“I can’t really single out one horse, but wining three in one night was very nice last year. OSS Super Finals is always a big night and since horses have to earn their way in, it’s on my radar from the beginning of the season until the end.”
Mohawk Racetrack’s first race goes postward at 7:30 pm on Saturday, with the eight $250,000 Super Finals slated as Races 2 through 5 and 7 through 10. In addition to the on track excitement, Mohawk fans will receive an Ontario Sires Stakes ball cap when they purchase a program and can play the fun-filled OSS Trivia Spin and Win game for more great prizes.
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