TORONTO, June 5, 2026 – Twice a month, Woodbine Mohawk Park will profile a Standardbred connected to the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society (OSAS). This week’s installment belongs to James Arthur, an unraced 5-year-old bred in Prince Edward Island, who on June 11 will head to his forever home in Thunder Bay alongside fellow adoptee Naso Hanover. James Arthur is currently residing with Bert and Susan Mollica, who train the majority of OSAS horses at their farm in Tottenham, Ontario. Susan spoke fondly of the ebullient equine, as he prepares to embark on his next chapter alongside a friendly face. Fun fact #1: James Arthur’s barn name is James. Fun fact #2: James Arthur’s half-brother, six-year-old Shadow Play gelding Marshall Zhukov, is currently racing at The Meadowlands. He sports a lifetime mark of 1:51s with $235,000 earned to date. Fun fact #3: James Arthur’s second dam [She Butterfly] is a half-sister to the revered racehorse and sire Western Hanover, who earned north of $2.5 million from 42 starts (27-9-4). Western Hanover hails from the immediate family of $1 million winner Modern Art. James Arthur Foaled: April 17, 2021 Sire: Arthur Blue Chip (PE) Dam: Saffron Seelster Trainer: N/A Owner: Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society Breeder: Frederick MacDonald OSAS Program Status: Adopted James Arthur What were your first impressions of James Arthur? Tell us what you’ve learned about his personality and character. “James is a comedian. He loves to play, loves affection, loves attention, and follows you like a puppy dog. He plays with the other horses and is an absolute love bug. We knew from the moment he got here that he was going to excel in his second career.” How did he settle into his training? Was there a steep learning curve? “Mary Christopher deserves all the credit for getting James ready. She’s one of the holding farms [Acton, Ontario] and does a lot of work with OSAS foster horses before they come to us. Mary spent a lot of time with him, not just learning his personality but also giving him the attention that he wanted, which made his transition to our house easy as pie. “He came here and was ready for everything. It was, ‘Oh, you’re going to put the saddle on me. Okay, let’s go do this.’ He was very socialized to the second career atmosphere, completely stress free.” What role do you see him excelling in with his new family? “James is the perfect match for the girl who is adopting him. She was looking for a loving, affectionate, calm horse that she can spend a lot of ground time with, as well as ride. She’ll be under the guidance of the people who adopted Isn’t He An Angel a few years back. Naso Hanover, who is also going to the same family, is going to their granddaughter, who’s nine. “James is fully prepared to go to an individual that wants him for bonding, his relaxed temperament, his joyfulness, and is eager to give him all kinds of attention.” James Arthur How does it feel knowing James is heading to his forever home with a friend by his side? “I’m overwhelmed with joy. The two boys have been out together and they get along fantastic. “The little girl that’s adopting Timmy [Naso Hanover] wants to learn how to drive. So, Bert line drove him because we don’t have a cart for him, and he is just a superstar. This little girl is going to have an amazing first horse to be taught by her grandparents how to achieve great things. “With James, he’s a backyard puppy dog – but he’ll be playing with everything in the backyard, too. He has the personality, where if he’s one-on-one with his new partner, he will be on cloud nine because he’ll be getting so much attention from her that he’ll just perform because of the love she’s going to give him.” Founded in 1996, OSAS is an approved charitable organization committed to assisting in the adoption and relocation of retired and non-racing Standardbred horses within Ontario. A primary mandate of the program is to showcase the versatility of the breed to horse lovers unfamiliar with harness horses. OSAS, which strives to educate and assist in the retraining and management of Standardbreds, relies heavily on volunteers and temporary foster homes to carry out its mission. Those interested in getting involved with OSAS and its cause can reach out at osashorses@gmail.com or call 905-339-6748, for more information. Matthew Lomon, for Woodbine Share This:Share
