(Photo of Phantom Seelster and driver Rick Zeron winning at Mohawk on July 10 courtesy of New Image Media)
Sixty-six freshman pacing colts invaded Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening and delivered impressive performances in two Gold Series and five Grassroots divisions.
Phantom Seelster opened the program with his second Grassroots victory, sprinting down the stretch to a 1:52.3 triumph. Pretty Handsome finished two lengths back in second and P H Hippie was two more lengths back in third.
“Phantom was perfect tonight,” said driver Rick Zeron of Oakville, ON, who sat fourth with the gelding through much of the mile after starting from Post 6. “He’s getting better every start. He just waits for me to ask him to go; he’s just a pleasure to drive.”
Zeron guided the roan son of Mach Three to the win for trainer Marcel Barrieau of Cambridge, ON and his partners Gestion Mastel Inc. of Longueuil, QC and Conrad Leber of Montreal, QC. A $74,000 acquisition from the Forest City Yearling Sale, Phantom Seelster has earned $22,825 through his first three starts.
Next up were the Gold Series colts and Shadow Moon made the transition from Grassroots to Gold look easy, doing all the work on the front-end and then digging in down the stretch to hold off Western Passage and Sports Legend. The 1:53.4 clocking matched the effort Shadow Moon delivered in the two-year-old pacing colt Grassroots opener at Mohawk on July 10 and boosted his earnings to $57,775.
“This colt’s been a nice colt from Day 1, he actually was my favourite all winter long,” said trainer Dr. Ian Moore from the winner’s circle. “He ran into some problems in March so he got behind the rest of them for about a month, so I opted to start him in the Grassroots — in fact this was probably only his fourth time on a starting gate and fifth time in a bike — so I hummed and hawed about where we should start him tonight. Anyway, a bit of a slow last quarter, but he got it done.”
“We went a very fast third quarter (:26.4),” added driver Trevor Henry of Arthur, ON. “I think that’s why he didn’t pace home that fast, but he’s a nice colt. He can leave the gate fast.”
Puslinch, ON resident Moore shares ownership of Shadow Moon with R G McGroup Ltd. of Bathurst, NB, Serge Savard of St-Bruno, QC and Gordon McComb of Fall River, NS. The son of Moore’s former trainee Shadow Play was a $60,000 purchase at the Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
The other $97,200 Gold Series division was captured by Jimmy Freight, in his first start since being acquired by Adriano Sorella of Milton and moving from Iowa to Ontario. The son of Sportswriter tussled with Lucky Sport and Goth Hanover throughout the mile before prevailing over those two colts, also sons of Sportswriter, by a neck in 1:52.3.
“I thought the colt was ultra-impressive considering the fact that he was purchased on Thursday (July 13), shipped from Iowa to New Jersey on Friday, trained Monday in New Jersey and shipped to Canada on Tuesday,” said New Jersey-based trainer Tony Alagna. “He bounced off the trailer and got the job done tonight, with a huge step up from county fair racing to Gold action on a big track.
“I knew the family, having owned the sister to Jimmy Freight (Frog Pond Princess), and I have driven horses previously on the Iowa tracks he was winning on, I know what kind of miles those were,” Alagna added, referring to the colt’s record of five wins in five starts on the Midwestern county fair circuit. “Huge congratulations to Adriano Sorella for stepping up and buying the horse.”
Jimmy Freight and driver Jonathan Drury will have an opportunity to cement their position as top contenders in the Ontario freshman pacing colt ranks in the third Gold Series event on August 19 at Mohawk.
Owners Brad Gray of Dundas and Denise Guerriero of Toronto, ON made two visits to the Grassroots winner’s circle on Thursday as Family Sports and Burning Midnight captured their respective divisions.
Family Sports got a perfect pocket trip from driver Jody Jamieson and then powered out in the final quarter to claim a 1:53.3 victory, three and one-half lengths ahead of pacesetter Sprocket. Letjimmytakeover completed the top three. Cambridge, ON resident Dave Menary trains the son of Sportswriter for Gray and Guerriero.
Two races later Burning Midnight and driver Louis-Philippe Roy also used a late sprint to post a seven and three-quarter length victory in 1:53.2 and give Gray and Guerriero their second trophy. The son of Mach Three, who is trained by Corey Giles of Cambridge, ON, bested Lucky Michael and When You Dance.
The other two Grassroots trophies went home with Chocolate Swirl and Hudson Phil, who delivered identical 1:54.2 clockings. Chocolate Swirl controlled the pace from start to finish for driver Travis Cullen and hit the wire one and three-quarter lengths ahead of JM Jack Of Hearts and Barn One. Eric Adams trains the son of Mach Three for owner-breeder Millar Farms of Stouffville, ON. Hudson Phil and driver James MacDonald powered up the outside to a one-half length win over Bo Mach and Dismissal Slip for owner-breeder Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, QC. Lansdowne, ON resident Mark Steacy conditions the son of Shanghai Phil.
The colts will make their third Grassroots appearance on August 16 at Grand River Raceway.
Ontario Sires Stakes excitement continues at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday night (July 21) with Grassroots action for the two-year-old and three-year-old pacing fillies. The two-year-olds kick things off in the first race at 7:30 pm and will also compete in Races 3, 5, 7, and 11, while the sophomores battle in Races 2, 6 and 9.
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