New Ontario Graduate Series begins this weekend
At 0h13, on April 14, 2023 • By WOODBINE MOHAWK
Some of Ontario’s brightest stars will begin their 4-year-old campaigns in this weekend’s first leg of the Ontario Sired Graduate Series.
The new Ontario Graduate Series for 4-year-olds offers an event for pacers, mare pacers and trotters. Each event will consist of three C$25,000 preliminary legs and a C$75,000 added money final. All three finals will take place on Saturday (May 6).
This Friday’s (April 14) program will see leg one for mare pacers and trotters contested, while Saturday (April 15) will have the opener for the pacing event.
O’Brien Award winner Silver Label (post three, James MacDonald) leads a field of 11 for the Graduate Mare Pace. The Millar Farms homebred makes her season’s debut after posting a 1:53.3 (last quarter :27) qualifying victory on April 8 at Mohawk Park.
The Nick Gallucci trained Silver Label won six of 14 starts last season, earning just shy of $400,000. Her biggest victory came in the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final. The daughter of Bettor’s Delight sits at 12 wins and $651,248 in earnings entering her 4-year-old season.
Leg one of the Ontario Graduate Mare Pace goes as race four (8:15 p.m.) on Friday.
Mark Etsell trainee Adare Castle (post four, James MacDonald) will begin her 4-year-old campaign against eight rivals in the first leg of the Ontario Graduate Open Trot.
The O’Brien Award winning Adare Castle earned $897,701 over the course of her 2- and 3-year-old seasons. The daughter of Muscle Mass won seven of 13 starts and earned $509,883 last year. She’s only missed the top two twice from 22 career outings.
Adare Castle tuned up for her season’s debut with a pair of qualifying efforts, most recently finishing third behind Safe Conduct with a final quarter of :26.4 last Saturday.
OSS Super Final champion Safe Conduct (post five, Chris Christoforou) will also make his season’s debut in Friday’s contest. The Camilla Christoforou trainee posted four wins and earned nearly $200,000 in 13 starts last season.
The field of nine for leg one of the Ontario Graduate Trot does include three mares, with Saundra (post three, Bob McClure) and Mischevious Rose (post eight, Louis-Philippe Roy) joining Adare Castle.
Round one of the Ontario Graduate Trot is carded as race six (9:05 p.m.) on Friday.
The Ontario Graduate continues Saturday with a field of seven clashing in leg one for the Open Pace division.
OSS Super Final champion Coldcreekqueso (post two, Sylvain Filion) is the morning line favorite in round one. The Murray Brethour trainee won five of 17 starts last season, earning $174,049 for his connections. Coldcreekqueso will be making his season’s debut after two qualifiers, including a 1:55 (last quarter :27.4) win on April 3.
The first leg of the Ontario Graduate for pacers is race three (7:50 p.m.) on Saturday.
Post time for each night of live racing is 7 p.m.
