Thanks to a three-way tie in the fillies’ division, more horses than usual cracked the top three in the 2025 Ontario-Sired Heritage Series held at Woodbine Racetrack and Fort Erie Racetrack.
The events, part of the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program’s Stakes Series, were contested over three legs and a final from June through November. Established in 2021, the Ontario Sired Heritage Series is comprised of three $100,000 legs and a $100,000 final for two divisions: 3-year-old colts & geldings, and 3-year-old fillies. The total purse structure for the series is $800,000. There is also a total of $70,000 in bonus money for the Heritage Series, $35,000 for each division – awarded $20,000, $10,000, $5,000 for the top three point earning colts/gelding and fillies.
In the fillies’ division, the connections of Rhaenyra (above, winning the Georgian Bay Stakes on June 22 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)) earned the top bonus award of $20,000 after the homebred daughter of Reload out of the Star Guitar mare Starmaline topped the standings with 15 points for the father-and-son team of Al and Bill Ulwelling. Second in the standings was Brengungirl, who had 13 points and earned a $10,000 bonus. Ella It Is, Sweet Passions and Takemybourbonneat tied for third with 10 points and the connections of each earned a bonus of $1,666.67.
Rhaenyra, trained by Kevin Attard and ridden by Pietro Moran, won the opening leg of the Heritage Series on June 22 at Woodbine, winning the $100,000 Georgian Bay Stakes over five furlongs on the inner turf. She finished third in the $100,000 Thunder Bay Stakes over six furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine on July 27 and was eighth in the $100,000 Rondeau Bay Stakes over 6 ½ furlongs on Sept. 9 at Fort Erie.
Brengungirl, a daughter of Point Of Entry out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Silent Sister, was second in the Thunder Bay, third in the Rondeau Bay and finished sixth in the $100,000 Heritage Series final, the Ashbridges Bay Stakes, won by Ella It Is on Nov. 21 over the main Tapeta track at Woodbine. Brengungirl, owned by Canuck Racing Club, was also trained by Attard.
Sweet Passions, a homebred daughter of Passion For Action out of Sweet Super Six by Philanthropist bred by the late Paul Buttigieg, earned her 10 Heritage Series points thanks to a win in the Thunder Bay Stakes. She was also 10th in the Rondeau Bay Stakes for trainer Richard Hayashi and jockey Ryan Munger.
Takemybourbonneat, a daughter of Souper Speedy out of the Old Forester mare Bourbonstraightup, bred by Keowee Racing Stable, owned by ICON Racing Stables, trained by Anthony Adamo and ridden by Sofia Vives, only competed in one leg of the series, winning the Rondeau Bay.
On the colts’ side, which featured stakes named in tribute to the four Great Lakes that border Ontario, Go Kart Mozart won the series – and his connections took the $20,000 bonus – after winning both the $100,000 Lake Huron Stakes first leg over five furlongs on June 22 on the inner turf at Woodbine and the third leg, the $100,000 Lake Erie Stakes over 6 ½ furlongs on Sept. 9 at Fort Erie.
Go Kart Mozart and jockey Sofia Vives winning the Lake Huron Stakes on June 22, 2025 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)
Go Kart Mozart was named for a lyric in the song Blinded by the Light written by Bruce Springsteen and best known for the version recorded by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. The colt, a homebred son of Souper Speedy out of the Silic (FR) mare Stormy Adieu, is owned by Frank Di Giulio, Jr., trained by Bob Tiller and was ridden by Hernandez. He ended the year with a record of 5-0-3 in eight starts and earnings of $214,354. Go Kart Mozart did not compete in the Series final – the $100,000 Lake Ontario over 1 1/16th miles won by Kekoa on Nov. 21 over the on the main Tapeta track at Woodbine – but was third in the middle leg, the $100,000 Lake Superior won by series runner-up Dark Screen over six furlongs on July 27 on the E.P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine
Dark Screen, a son of Big Screen out of the Elajjud mare Lady Elena owned by Richard Okihiro, Greg Secko, Tim Orlando and trainer Bev Chubb, competed in all three legs and the final. Apart from winning the Lake Superior, he was second in the Lake Huron, fifth in the Lake Erie and fifth in the Lake Ontario to earn 23 points and the $10,000 bonus.
The victory by Kekoa in the Lake Ontario – as well as a second-place finish in the Lake Superior – gave the son of Reload out of the Dansili (GB) mare Henley Hill (GB) third place in the Ontario-Sired Heritage Series standings and landed owners Stephan and Rita Shefsky, Willy and Toby Kruh, Danny Vella and Kingfield Racing Stable a $5,000 bonus. Kekoa is trained by Catherine Day Phillips and was ridden by Austin Adams.
