A Clean Deal became harness racing's fastest 2-year-old pacing filly so far in 2025 with a 1:50 4/5 victory in a C$140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series race on Friday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Jen Tilly (Billy Davis Jr.), the longest shot on the board at 109-1, cut the quarter in 27 2/5 and then A Clean Deal (Doug McNair) pulled out of the pocket to take command before the half went on the board in 57 seconds flat. A Clean Deal would end up in the two-hole again, though, as TH Check Me Out (Tyler Borth) attacked out of third and forged her way to the point early on the final bend.
TH Check Me Out would go on to click off three-quarters in 1:24 2/5 as favored Shes A Bulldog (James MacDonald) made a break from first-over and bothered some horses, leaving it down to A Clean Deal and TH Check Me Out to the wire. TH Check Me Out was game, but A Clean Deal was able to surge past her on the outside, getting up for the victory by a length in 1:50 4/5. Jay (Bob McClure) was third after suffering inteference from second-over.
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"We had the middle of the gate, and I just was going to play it by ear and float out of there and see what happens. Billy's horse was a little aggressive in the first turn. I just wanted to make sure that she relaxed before I came back around him," McNair said. "When she settled we got to follow a good filly that's raced good a couple of weeks in a row. We were following the right one, and in the last turn there was a little confusion. James' horse wasn't pacing the best. It worked out good for us.
"I said to Tyler after I wasn't sure or not I wasn't going to catch him. His was pacing pretty good, obviously it went in 1:50 and change. That's huge mile this time of year. It was a huge back-half. Anytime they go a mile in 1:50, let alone this time of year, it's a pretty special mile."
Winbak Farm bred A Clean Deal, a daughter of Cattlewash, and she's trained by Kyle Fellows for owners Yolanda Fellows, Blair Corbeil, Windermere Stable LLC. and James Ross. A Clean Deal is perfect in two tries, has banked C$78,000 and paid $17.20 to win.