SBOA Stakes Featured Saturday At Mohawk
At 2h38, on May 20, 2023 • By ONTARIO RACING
Ontario-sired three-year-olds have their first major stakes engagement of the 2023 campaign this weekend with the $542,600 SBOA Stakes fiinals on Saturday, May 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The four divisions for males and females of both gaits are carded as races four through seven.
$136,800 Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace (Race 7)
Stockade Seelster (sired by State Treasurer) – 2-1
The dual Dan Patch and O’Brien Award winner makes his anticipated season debut off three impressive qualifiers, the most recent a 7-3/4-length romp at Mohawk on May 12. He hit the board in 10 of 11 starts as a rookie winning the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final and Metro Pace. Jody Jamieson will drive from post nine.
$144,800 Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot (Race 6)
Osceola (sired by Muscle Mass) – 5-2
This was the lone division where eliminations were required and Team McNair sends this elimination winner out from the post three. The talented colt had three wins at the Gold level and earned more than $175,000 during his freshman season.
Tuscan Prince (sired by Kadabra) – 3-1
Quebec owned
The winner of the other SBOA elimination is trained by Luc Blais. Last year, he started off with a pair of Grassroots wins, picked up a second in his William Wellwood elimination and won a Gold division in the final leg of the year. Louis-Philippe Roy drives from post six.
$129,500 Three-Year-Old Filly Pace (Race 5)
Savethelastdance (sired by Bettors Delight) – 5-2
The Millar Farms homebred is a full sister to O’Brien Award winner Silver Label. She’ll attempt to follow in her sibling’s footsteps by winning the SBOA Stakes to kickstart her three-year-old campaign. James MacDonald drives for trainer Nick Gallucci from post five.
“I’m happy with how Savethelastdance has comeback this year,” said Gallucci. “She looked comfortable in her first start of the year [winning a conditioned race at Mohawk in 1:51.4 on May 5] and hopefully that leads to a good race in the final on Saturday.”
$131,500 Three-Year-Old Filly Trot (Race 4)
HP Extra Ice (sired by Alarm Detector) – 3-1
Quebec co-owned
Trained by Benoit Baillargeon, this filly didn’t make a pari-mutuel start as a two-year-old, but already has three wins in 2023, including the $43,900 Ontario Sired Spring Series final. She was named the top choice despite drawing the outside post 10. James MacDonald is in the racebike.
