Georgian Downs showcased the two-year-old trotting colts and geldings on Saturday evening and Innisfil area fans were treated to impressive performances by the Ontario Sires Stakes program’s future stars.
Three $70,000 Gold Series divisions and four $18,000 Grassroots divisions went postward and Mass Production kicked things off in the first race with a commanding 1:59 victory for trainer-driver Rick Zeron. The heavy favourites finished two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Lucys Man and Northern Major to earn the Gold Series trophy.
“I was very confident in my colt,” said Zeron after the front-end victory. “He’s been a great colt since the day we put the harness on him. He’s very versatile I can do whatever I like with him; I can go to the front with him, I can race him out of a hole, whatever it is, he just responds so well, he’s like driving a four-year-old horse.”
The Oakville resident shares ownership of Mass Production with James Walker of Port Perry and Bruno Dipoce of Wasaga Beach, ON. The trio purchased the Muscle Mass son for $32,000 from last fall’s Canadian Open Yearling Sale and he has already banked $42,000 in two starts, winning both.
“I’m very pleased with him and I know he will step up in the near future and trot in 1:55,” added Zeron. “I’m quite pleased with him and I’m real happy for my partners Jim Walker and Bruno Dipoce, really happy for them, because, you know, it’s a long winter when you buy your yearlings and you take your time.”
Rose Run Speedster captured the second Gold Series division, with driver Anthony MacDonald employing come-from-behind tactics to land the Windsong Espoir son in the winner’s circle. The colt sprinted down the stretch to a one and one-half length victory in 2:00.1. Life Well Lived was second, edging out favourite Uknow What To Do.
“This colt has never had a shortage of speed, and has never had to be shown how to win,” said MacDonald. “I’m very excited to race this colt all summer.”
MacDonald’s wife Amy conditions Rose Run Speedster for the Rose Run Speedster Stable of Guelph, one of the fractional ownership groups in the couple’s new business venture, thestable.ca.
“Obviously Amy and I are very pleased to see thestable.ca get its first major stakes win,” said the Guelph resident. “Rose Run Speedster was inexpensive in Harrisburg at $14,000, but he has shown just why fractional ownership is so important for horse racing — a large group of owners at the track and in the winner’s circle who would have otherwise been at home tonight.“
Rose Run Speedster also has two starts under his belt, with Saturday’s victory and a fifth in a June 21 overnight event at Mohawk Racetrack giving him an earnings total of $9,700.
The final Gold Series division saw trainer-driver Luc Ouellette go straight to the front from Post 1 with Speedycrest and sail through fractions of :29, :58.4 and 1:29.4 on the way to a 1:59 victory, six lengths ahead of One Of The Few and favourite Clarion Hall.
“He minded his manners tonight, because he’s shown a couple times that at the gate he could make a mistake, but I guess he’s learning,” said Ouellette. “He went a good mile, we’re real happy with him.”
Owned by Ecuries Richelieu Inc. of Venise-En-Quebec, QC, Speedycrest learned his early lessons under the tutelage of Joliette, QC resident Claude Beausoleil. After a pair of qualifiers and one overnight test at Hippodrome Trois-Rivieres, making a break behind the gate and being pulled up on May 28, scoring a 2:00.3 win on June 14, and recovering from an early break to be second on June 26, Beausoleil sent Speedycrest to Ouellette’s Campbellville, ON facility.
“They’ve been mentioning to me for the last two months how good he’s been training, and they were saying that he would do well in the first Gold, and they were right. They sent him, and he was ready, and he did well in the first Gold,” said Ouellette. “He got here 10 days ago and he’s done nothing but nice things, he’s one of those horses that whatever you want to do, he’s game for.
“I think he’s just learning all the time and good experiences will lead to better things,” added the horseman.
Angus Hall son Speedycrest and his peers will make their second Gold Series start at Mohawk Racetrack on July 25.
In the Grassroots divisions, Tycoon Seelster opened the season with a 2:02.3 effort for driver Paul MacDonell of Guelph, trainer Scott McEneny of Waterdown and owner Chris Storms of Picton, ON. The Angus Hall son overcame an early break in stride to best Pennant Seelster by three-quarters of a length and Kitarro by two and one-quarter lengths.
A $23,000 purchase at the Forest City Yearling Sale, Tycoon Seelster is a full-brother to $658,058 winner Traverse Seelster. The well-bred youngster had just one qualifier under his belt heading into Saturday’s test, a third-place result at Mohawk Racetrack on July 1.
The second Grassroots split saw trainer-driver Ondrej Gois and Mr Marshmellow go gate-to-wire in 2:02.1, hitting the finish five and three-quarter lengths ahead of LMC Mass Gem and six more ahead of My Big Kadillac in a race that was cut down to five starters due to scratches related to sickness.
Rockwood, ON resident Gois also owns Mr Marshmellow, a son of Federal Flex and Ultra Chic. The colt made an error in his first qualifier on Jun 24 at Mohawk, then finished second in his July 1 effort, just ahead of Tycoon Seelster.
Veteran reinsman Jack Moiseyev also chose to control the tempo with Rosberg in the third Grassroots division. The Moffat, ON resident put Rosberg on the front heading for the half and never needed to glance over his shoulder, sailing across the finish line two lengths the best in 2:02.2. More Than Majestic and favourite Motown Jackpot completed the top three.
Moiseyev crafted the win for trainer Julie Walker of Carlisle and her partners Ronald Piers of Georgetown and Layhoon Chan Brunner of Etobicoke, ON. The Manofmanymissions son, a $13,000 purchase from the Lexington-Selected Yearling Sale, prepped for his Ontario Sires Stakes debut with June 24 and July 1 qualifiers at Mohawk Racetrack, finishing seventh and second, respectively.
Fan favourite Themanofmydreams also cruised to an effortless victory in the last Grassroots division. The Muscle Mass son hit the wire in 2:02.3, four and three-quarter lengths ahead of Critical Mass and Yo Yo Mass, also sons of Muscle Mass.
Denis St. Pierre of Guelph, ON piloted Themanofmydreams to the win for trainer Tiffanee Staley of Guelph and her partners Alexandre and Christian Pilon of St-Eustache, QC and Jesse Legault of Lorraine, QC. Like many of his peers, the Muscle Mass son had two qualifiers under his belt, both at Mohawk, a sixth-place result on June 24 and a 2:03 win on July 1. Themanofmydreams was a $22,000 purchase from the Canadian Open Yearling Sale.
The two-year-old trotting colts and geldings make their second Grassroots start on July 20 at Grand River Raceway.
Having enjoyed the freshman trotting colt showcase on Saturday night, Georgian Downs fans will get a look at the two-year-old trotting fillies on Sunday night as they compete in their first Grassroots event. Post time is 7:15 pm and the fillies will test their skills in Races 3, 5 and 7.
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