The finals for the Ontario Heritage Series for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds are scheduled for Friday, November 18 at Woodbine.
The 1 1/16-mile Tapeta events conclude the eight-leg stakes Series, held at Woodbine and Fort Erie racetracks.
Ontario Racing and its Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP) Committee unveiled the series in 2021. With a total purse structure of $800,000 this year, the Heritage Series featured a total of four races – three opening legs and one final – for both 3-year-old colts and geldings and 3-year-old fillies who are sustained to the Ontario Sires Stakes program.
At the conclusion of the final, $70,000 in bonuses will be paid to the top three horses in each division based on a points system, with $20,000 to first, $10,000 to second, and $5,000 to third.
(Point System: 10 points – 1st, 7 points – 2nd, 5 points – 3rd, 3 points – 4th, 2 points – 5th, 1 point – all remaining finishers).
Point leaders BOSSY HOLIDAY (Ami’s Holiday) and PLEASURE’S GOLD (Souper Speedy) lead the prospective fields for the $100,000 Lake Ontario final for colts and geldings and $100,000 Ashbridges Bay for fillies.
Bossy Holiday will win the bonus first-place prize of $20,000 as Ivan Dalos’ homebred colt has 18 points from a win in the Lake Erie Stakes, a second in the Lake Huron, and a sixth in the Lake Superior. The other entrants in the Lake Ontario do not have enough points to get past the dark bay colt trained by Josie Carroll and current points second-place horse Uncle Joe (17), third, Silent Runner (15) and fourth, Banff (10) are not entered.
Bossy Holiday will be trying 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta for the first time and early speed is expected from the three-time sprint winner.
HUNT MASTER (Hunters Bay) has seven points from his second-place finish in the Lake Superior Stakes on grass and could get second or third overall with a good run for owner Openwood Farm and trainer Angus Buntain.
The Lake Ontario is race 8 on Friday.
Here are the point standings for the colts and geldings division:
Bossy Holiday 18 * wins $20,000 bonus
Uncle Joe 17
Silent Runner 15
Banff 10
Hunt Master 7
Full Screen 3
Mr Crowley 3
Souper Rush 3
The Ashbridges Bay Stakes is race 7 and the winner of the bonus prize of $20,000 is still up for grabs. Elizabeth and Gordon Lickrish’s homebred Pleasure’s Gold has 17 points from a win in the Rondeau Bay, a second in the Georgian Bay, and a sixth in the Thunder Bay in her most recent start. This will be her first attempt at 1 1/16 miles.
The only filly who can take away the top prize from Pleasure’s Gold is MY GIRL SKY (Dynamic Sky) who has 10 points from her victory in the Thunder Bay Stakes on grass on Oct.21. Kevin Drew’s filly is trained by Katerina Vassilieva and has done well in route races; a second-place finish on Friday would bring her to 17 points and a win puts her at 20 points. But Pleasure’s Gold is assured of at least one point in the race.
Other starters in the Ashbridges Bay who have points are Dixie morning, Well Actually, and Talk to Ya Later.
Point standings in filly division:
Pleasure’s Gold 17
Souper Flashy 14
Breathing Fire 12
My Girl Sky 10
American Gamble 8
Dixie Morning 5
Forest B 5
Well Actually 5
Talk to Ya Later 3
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