ONTARIO SIRED HERITAGE SERIES – Leg 3 at Fort Erie
The third leg of the Ontario Sired Heritage Series from the Thoroughbred Improvement Program was held at Fort Erie on the dirt on Labour Day. The series, which includes four races, offers huge purses and bonuses to winners and those who accrue points along the way.
On Monday, the $150,000 RONDEAU BAY STAKES for three-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs went to REGAL AFFAIR (Ami’s Holiday), who won by a head over Thunder Bay Stakes winner Splash of Bourbon. Regal Affair, co-owned and bred by Racing Canada, also owned by Sheldon Pettle was competing in her first Heritage event. Trained by Steve Attard, Regal Affair had one prior win in a maiden race and her previous best Beyer Figure was a 64.
Filly Leaders by Points
Souper Sporty 18
Splash of Bourbon 17
Souper Diva 12
Regal Affair 10
In the boys division, MY COVENANT led all the way and collected $90,000 for his seven-length romp in the Lake Erie Stakes. Owned by Mad Dog Racing and Mike Robitaille, My Covenant (Souper Speedy) sizzled 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.00 for his third win in nine races.
Colts and geldings Leaders by Points
Humormeastory 17
Wine After Whiskey 14
My Covenant 10
Duckduckduck 10
Gone With Duwyn 10
In 2026, the Ontario Sired Heritage Series will feature a total of four races – three opening legs and one final – for both three-year-old colts & geldings and three-year-old fillies. The total purse structure for the series is $800,000, offering three $100,000 preliminary legs per race, per division. The Heritage series will conclude with a pair of $100,000 finals for both divisions. $70,000 in bonuses will be paid at the end of the series to the top three horses in each division by points
KENTUCKY BOYS
Trainer Kevin Attard and jockey Rafael Hernandez had a good day at KENTUCKY DOWNS on Monday (Attard was actually at Fort Erie where his trainee BUIUM finished a close third in the $480,000 Prince of Wales Stakes).
The pair combined with the three-year-old TWO OUT HERO and landed second place in the $1.1 million Mint Franklin Stakes (G2) at 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass. Two Out Hero, owned by Gold Square Stable, was a finalist for Champion 2-Year-Old in Canada in 2025 but had a very poor winter and spring on Tapeta tracks in Kentucky and at Woodbine. The son of War Front rebounded with a recent win on the Woodbine turf.
For his second-place finish to European important Take Charge Star (Ire) at Kentucky Downs, Two Out Hero earned a whopping $300,000. Two Out Hero was 26-to-1.
Earlier in the day, Hernandez finished fourth on 91-to-1 shot Sinister Smile for trainer Joe Sharp in a $190,000 allowance race.
CIVACI RETURNS
Champion Jockey in Canada of 2024, Sahin Civaci, returned to riding on Monday at Woodbine and promptly rode three winners, all for trainer Mark Casse. Civaci, who had been riding in New York since last fall, returned to Woodbine this summer, but had been absent from riding races in the past couple of weeks.
LUSTER IS BACK
King’s Plate and Woodbine Oaks winner LUSTER returned to work Monday for the first time since her Plate triumph, breezing four furlongs in 49.40 over the Woodbine main track. Trained by Josie Carroll, Luster is reportedly being pointed toward the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on turf at Keeneland on October 10.
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