St. Lads Popcorn, Cheap Motel take OSS elims

St. Lads Popcorn continued her winning ways as the heavy favourite while Cheap Motel posted an upset in Monday night's pair of $40,000(C) Ontario Sire Stakes Gold eliminations for 2-year-old filly pacers at Mohawk Racetrack.

In the opening split, Cheap Motel took advantage of a break in stride at the top of the stretch by heavily favored Shacked Up to score an off-the-pace victory for driver Randy Waples in 1:53.3. The daughter of Grinfromeartoear-Media Queen rallied from seventh at the opening quarter to turn back another longshot Icey Breeze with Shacked Up recovering well to pick up the show spot.

Cheap Motel returned $24 for the victory.

It was the second win in six tries this season for the Rod Boyd trainee and owner Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, Fla.

The second elimination went to the talented St. Lads Popcorn as expected, however the filly was pushed to the limit in the 1:52.2 win for driver Jason Brewer. Northern Duchess chased her right to the finish and ended up just a half-length back at the end with Shellace landing the show spot.

The winner returned a very popular $2.70.

The daughter of Twin B Champ-Hot Butter was just a $5,000 yearling purchase at last Fall's Forest City Yearling Sale by owner Jack Darling who also does the training. It was her seventh win of the campaign in just nine outings.

The $120,000 Ontario Sire Stakes Gold final will go postward next Monday night at Mohawk. Here is a look at the field in post position order:

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