Reverend Is A Rockstar

Iron horse Wheels On Fire has joined the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society where he’ll be trained for a second career after excelling at his first. As a racehorse the now 10 year-old faced the gate 197 times. He retires with an impressive summary of 51-41-29 and $1.2 million in earnings. The son of Somebeachsomewhere began his career as a two-year-old in 2017 and retired in September of 2025. His most productive year was 2022, as a seven-year-old, when he won more than $316,000 racing primarily in the preferred class on the WEG circuit. The previous season he won the O’Brien Award as Canada’s top older male pacer of the year. “He has been a great horse to have as well as a fan favourite for many years. He retires with over $1.2 million on his card as well as an O’Brien Award to his credit,” noted owner Brad Grant when he announced Wheels On Fire’s retirement last month. Wheels On Fire’s dam, Ab Fab, is a sister to three millionaire performers – Ashlees Big Guy, Betterthancheddar and Courtly Choice. She is also a sister to the dam of the fastest harness horse of all time, Bulldog Hanover. OSAS is honoured to assist this talented performer as he transitions into life away from the racetrack.

The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society is very fortunate to be strongly supported by the entire harness racing industry in the province and that was certainly evident from yesterday’s annual golf tournament. The popular event sold out quickly and Wildwinds Golf Course was an ideal course once again this year. OSAS is sincerely grateful to everyone who contributed to this year’s success – the golfers, the sponsors, our incredible volunteers and support staff and all those who contributed prizes. We, and all of the OSAS horses, acknowledge and appreciate your support.

The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society would like to remind participants that their annual golf tournament starts tomorrow at Wildwinds Golf Links (Guelph). Shotgun start is at 1 p.m. The always popular fundraiser, now in its 27 th year, sold out very quickly. OSAS thanks all those who signed up to golf and look forward to hosting you tomorrow. Note that registration takes place from 11:45 followed by lunch prior to tee off. Additional thanks to all those who supported the tournament through hole sponsorship and prize donations.

For the 27 th year, the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society will be hosting a golf tournament to help support our mandate to find forever homes for retired harness horses. This year’s tourney will be held on Wednesday, September 10 th at the Wildwinds Golf Links (near Guelph). Golfers will receive a BBQ lunch, golf, cart, a steak and chicken dinner and prizes. Price per golfer is $165 and hole sponsors are $200. Shotgun start is 1 p.m. Please register early as this popular event always fills up quickly. Non golfers are more than welcome to attend and/or contribute by sponsoring a hole or an item for the prize table. Please contact Joanne Colville 905-339-6748 ( osashorses@gmail.com ) or Emma Christoforou 289-971-4675 to register to play, regarding sponsorship, to donate prizes or for additional information.

A popular pacer on the WEG circuit for the past several years, Sweet Deisel, has joined OSAS on his way to finding his forever retirement home. A son of Sweet Lou, the gelding had his most productive season of racing last year at age eight, winning over $125,000 in purse money, all at Mohawk. It was also a hectic time for him as he was claimed five times in five months in 2024. Sweet Deisel’s quickest time of 1:50 was first earned at four and then matched again at five. In total he faced the gate 120 times and retired with a summary of 30-24-12 for $355,125 banked. Sweet Deisel is the first foal of his Bettors Delight dam Gentlemens Delight, a full sister to the $1.5 million winner See You At Peelers, a world record holder and winner of 22 races in a row in her distinguished career. She is also a half-sister to the dam of last year’s O’Brien Award winner Its A Love Thing. Sweet Deisel will be enjoying some time for R&R away from the racetrack before he’ll begin training for his second career.

The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society is so grateful for the support of Woodbine Entertainment Group who generously donated $20,000 to OSAS this past weekend. We are so fortunate to partner with WEG on numerous projects including having a Meet & Greet horse at Mohawk throughout the summer months to allow newcomers the opportunity to pet a horse for the first time. We also give patrons the opportunity to sit behind an incredible Standardbred horse through our Drive With Us program with features our wonderful ambassador Reverend Hanover. WEG and OSAS have been working together for the benefit of the industry for close to 30 years and we appreciate their unwavering support. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

Casimir Richie P, who made a total of 157 lifetime starts during his long career, has started training for his second role as a riding horse at the OSAS foster farm owned and operated by Susan and Bert Mollica. A now 10 year-old son of Astronomical, Richie earned $478,000 during his racing career which started as a rookie in 2017. Under the guidance of trainer Dr. Ian Moore, he was competitive as a two-year-old, winning an Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots event at Grand River Raceway as well as an elimination of the Battle Of Waterloo (fifth in final). At three he was a multiple OSS winner and took in over $100,000 and his four-year-old campaign was his richest with over $130,000 in purses earned thanks to strong showings in WEG’s preferred paces. The highlight of his five-year-old season was a win in the coveted Gold Cup & Saucer trials at Charlottetown Driving Park. During his storied racing career Casimir Richie P started at 15 different racetracks across North America. His last official start was a four length win at London’s Western Fair Raceway on January 29 th of this year. Bred by Casmir Farms of Hagar, Ontario, Richie is the richest performer of his dam, Casimir Hugs who has produced three other $200,000+ winners in Tuggingoncredit ($307,000), Rays Kredit ($259,000) and Grits N Gravy ($235,000).

The Ontario Competitive Trail Riding Association (OCTRA) is reaching out to riders of Standardbreds to participate in a training ride on May 3. There are two rides, one seven miles, the other 14, and will be held at the Dufferin County Forest Main Tract. The event also includes sessions covering the following topics: Camping with your horse Trail etiquette Horse Health, before during and after the ride Vetting the horse in for the ride Taking your horses heart rate Pacing your horse’s speed And an introduction to the different OCTRA disciplines, 1) Set Speed, 2) Ride & Tie, 3) Limited Distance, 4) Competitive Trail Riding, 5) Endurance. The event organizers are encouraging riders with Standardbreds to take part and are willing to pay the entry fee for four participants riding a harness horse. The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society already has representation with Sarah Cutherbertson who adopted the successful trotter West Grey Bay several years ago. Their story may be read here. OSAS strongly supports this initiative as it follows our mandate to showcase the versatility of the Standardbred bred to a wide, relevant audience and encourages anyone interested in participating to visit the OCTRA’s website for more information or to enter the event.

Millionaire trotter Y Chance It was laid to rest last week following a battle with colic. He was 26. The talented trotter joined the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society along with his best friend, Railroad Ron, several years ago. Long time race fans will remember both trotters who were regulars on the WEG circuit from 2001 through 2008. Trainer Ron O’Neill purchased Y Chance It, a son of Yentls Image, as a yearling for $5,000 and would be the horse’s trainer throughout his impressive career. “He was big and uncoordinated when I started to train him. He was never flashy, but he did everything right.” O’Neill remembered for a feature story I wrote in 2005. In total Y Chance It would face the gate 134 times for a summary of 43-15-15 and $1,081,364 in earnings. One of the highlights of his long career, which concluded as a nine-year-old in 2008, was his sweep of the 2004 Horsemen’s Series at Woodbine. O’Neill describes his performance in the first leg of the event: “He broke at the start and we figured he spotted the field a good 20 lengths. He was catching up to them by the quarter and kept digging in and I was thinking we might have a chance to get a cheque. He kept coming and I’m thinking ‘wow, we might get third’ and he just kept going and won. “I could watch the tape of that race every day and not get sick of it. To be able to do that against that calibre of horses in there was unbelievable.” In the $116,500 Horsemen’s final Y Chance It was impressive once more, winning from post eight for his regular pilot Randy Fritz. Fritz drove Y Chance it in most of his career starts but when the driver was sidelined with an injury in early 2005 Paul MacDonell climbed into the sulky and guided the trotter to another Horsemen’s Trot final win in January of 2005. Not only did Y Chance It and Railroad Ron compete against each other on the racetrack, they spent their entire retirement together. For several years the pair received wonderful care from the late Dr. Ted Clarke, his wife Val and daughter Carrie. The Clarke family were ardent supporters of OSAS for years and took in many older, companion horses like Y Chance It and Railroad Ron. When the Clarkes’ farm was sold, the pair moved to the farm of Lynn and Kevin Bodz. “We were asked by their connections if we could accommodate them and take them both as they were great friends and had been together for years,” OSAS’s Joanne Colville said. “We send condolences to Y Chance It’s connections who trusted us with his retirement and gratitude to those who fostered him and let him live the life he so deserved.” Railroad Ron, 23, earned a quarter of a million in his career guided by Paula Wellwood and Mike Keeling. He now has a new paddock mate in Bettor Not Bitter, a 13-year-old Bettors Delight gelding.