TORONTO, April 27, 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 Wheels On Fire, who joined the OSAS program following a standout racing career that saw him collect 51 wins and more than $1.2 million in purse earnings. The statuesque 11-year-old pacer has spent the last four months in the care of Bert and Susan Mollica, who train the majority of OSAS horses at their farm in Tottenham, Ontario. Susan had nothing but praise for Wheels On Fire and his sunny, yet curious disposition. “He is so big – he’s 18 hands high,” said Susan. “He’s tall and he’s a gentle giant. He’s had so much love throughout his career, and it just shines through in his personality.” Fun fact #1: Wheels On Fire’s barn name is Wheels. Fun fact #2: Wheels On Fire is the son of Hall of Famer Somebeachsomewhere, and the first foal of his dam Ab Fab, who is a sister to three millionaires: Betterthancheddar, Courtly Choice and Ashlees Big Guy. Fun fact #3: Wheels On Fire’s dam, Ab Fab, is also the sister of BJs Squall, the dam of the fastest harness horse in history, Bulldog Hanover. Wheels On Fire Foaled: February 26, 2015 Sire: Somebeachsomewhere Dam: Ab Fab Trainer: Gregg McNair Owner: Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society Breeder: W J Donovan OSAS Program Status: In Training Wheels on Fire and driver Doug McNair winning Race 8 on December 26, 2021 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (New Image Media) What were your first impressions of Wheels On Fire as he adjusted to retired life at your farm? “He wasn’t used to anything on our farm – coming from racing, rehab, Joanne’s [Colville’s] – but when they get off the trailer at our house, everybody’s a blank slate and we fit them in at home as if they’d been here forever. Wheels took right to it; he’s amazing. “He almost leaves you speechless. He just settled right in after we picked him up from Joanne’s. Instantly he was like, ‘I want love. I want attention.’” How has he taken to training with Bert? Was there a steep learning curve? “Bert started his training with him right away because Wheels wanted to interact. He is so curious about everything, and he’s not afraid of anything. When they started doing the groundwork, everything that was in the Xtreme paddock inside the arena, including all our obstacles, Wheels was like, ‘I want to go see this. I want to check it all out.’ But that’s Wheels. If there was a hat sitting on a barrel at the far end of the arena, he’d go, ‘Oh, dad, there’s something new. Let’s go see it.’ “Wheels can’t get enough of the riding, either. Once Bert got on him, he went through every obstacle like he’d been doing it his entire life. He’d let his curiosity take over at times and stop to check other things out, but we always let them explore. Exploring gives them the freedom to say, ‘I’m not afraid. I get to go and see what I want.’ But if they are afraid, then we’ll do something else. “Wheels had none of those issues. He’s the type of horse that you had to keep on task because now that he’s riding outside, there’s a whole world to explore and he just wants to do it. “One time, I opened the gate on the farm, the two of them headed in and Wheels just thought it was so cool. It’s right up by the road, vehicles are going past, and Wheels is like, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of action up here.’ He loved it. Wheels was instantly adapting to his new career and loving every minute of it.” Wheels on Fire was a fan favourite during his extraordinary racing career. What about him makes you think he’ll be the same in his second career? “In his racing career, he was a superstar because he was coordinated. In his second career, he’s going to be a superstar because he’s still coordinated. So, anybody that wants to conquer the world as far as their showing career, whether it’s English, dressage, Western, obstacle, Xtreme Cowboy – he is the candidate for being out in the public because he’s a crowd pleaser. “Wheels is always smiling. If we’re putting the tack on him, he’s smiling. If you look at the Facebook videos that I posted of Wheels, you will see Bert tacking him up and he’s making faces because he’s so happy and he’s smiling. “He wants to smile for the people. He wants to be out there, not as a racing horse, but as a horse that says, ‘This is my new career, and I love it, and I want you to watch what I can do.’ That’s Wheels. He’s curious, he’s adventurous, and he’s always smiling. There’s not a mean bone in his body.” Wheels on Fire and driver Doug McNair winning Race 4 on January 25, 2026 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (New Image Media) * 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 Mohawk Park Share This:Share
