Cattlewash standing at Tara Hills Stud in Port Perry, Ontario. (Tara Hills Stud Photo)

Tyler Borth piloted Control Rocks to a wire-to-wire victory for owner/trainer Jack Darling of Cambridge, Ont. in the first division of an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event on Industry Day (August 4th) at Grand River Raceway. The gelded son of Control The Moment out of Katie Rocks, sent off at 3-1, defeated a field of five a little over two weeks after setting a career-best 1:49.2 mile at Mohawk in his last start.

*Control Rocks holds off Crack Shot - pacing to a 1:49.4 track record mile at Grand River Raceway on Industry Day. (Dave Landry Photo)*

The winning mile was the first and only sub-1:50 mile ever paced, in a pari-mutuel race, over the newer 5/8 mile oval in Elora – which came to be in the 2024 season.

Borth said he wasn’t surprised Control Rocks was a 1:49.4 winner on Industry Day during his winner’s circle interview following the track record mile.

“I feel this track is close to as fast as Mohawk sometimes,” said Borth. “And he’s been pacing in [1]:49 at Mohawk. It doesn’t surprise me that he was able to do it [today].”

Control Rocks paid $8.70 and defeated favourite Crack Shot (Doug McNair) by a head. Docs Buddy (Louis-Philippe Roy), Set Shot (Bob McClure) and Aquinas Hanover (Jody Jamieson) picked up the final cheques in that order.

Darling said Control Rocks has been “racing really well. He trained super and I expected a big effort from him.”

Bred by Ben Mudry of Toronto, Ont., Control Rocks was purchased by Darling for $33,000 at the 2023 London Classic Yearling Sale.

“I had his brother [Tom Cruze Control] last year,” said Darling. “He showed me some good speed, but he was lame. He didn’t even race. So, I knew the horse had talent. When I saw the brother, I fell in love with him just from his looks.”

Control Rocks raced just once as a two-year-old. Darling said the pacer was sick last year and it ended up costing Control Rocks the entire season of racing. His career record now stands at 5-3-1 in 12 starts, with earnings of $139,870.

“The nice thing is he was never hurt [last year],” said Darling.

Folks can look forward to a Control Rocks sibling in the 2025 edition of the London Classic Yearling Sale | Western Fair District. Hip #167 Eclipser is a bay colt son of the red-hot sire Cattlewash who has certainly made a name for himself in a very short time here in Ontario. This colt is just 1 of 21 yearlings consigned by Erinwood Equine Standardbred Breeding Farm for this Fall in London. Hip #221 Washing Matilda is a Cattlewash sister to Fast N First p, 1:50.2h at 3 ($403,128) and JK Black Beauty p, 1:52f at 3 ($191,027) who is also part of the Erinwood Equine lineup for London.

Cattlewash, standing at Home - Tara Hills Stud, is a 1:46.4 ($1,345,637) record son of Somebeachsomewhere and he has already sired winners of 58 races and almost $5M in purse earnings from his first two crops.

*Beau Jangles (Bob McClure) remains perfect in his rookie season. His 1:50.1 mark was the fastest debut time for a two-year-old in the history of the sport. (New Image Media Photo)*

Some big names are popping up when speaking of the two-year-old sons and daughters of Cattlewash including the undefeated two-year-old sensations – colt Beau Jangles p, 1:50.1s ($323,550) and filly A Clean Deal p. 1:50s ($218,000) – as well as Tilthecowscomehome ($151,750) and TH Check Me Out ($101,387). From his first crop, of three-year-olds, there’s been Manolete ($564,312), Reckless Abandon ($379,277), Smooth Dream ($377,664), Worklifebalance ($313,986) and many other $100,000+ winners.