MILTON, Ont., Sept. 27, 2024 – Eight $25,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series divisions were held Friday at Woodbine Mohawk Park ahead of Saturday’s Grassroots Finals.
Here’s a quick look at how each race went down.
Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts
Driver Doug McNair picked up his first of four Grassroots victories in 12-race card opener with Captain Suzuki (Muscle Mass) in a time of 1:58.4 for trainer Gregg McNair.
Winning by a nose at the wire, Captain Suzuki overcame a three-length deficit entering the home stretch to catch leader Stonebridge Praise (Green Manalishi S), who ended up finishing third, and just barely hold off a hard-charging Nickel And Dime (Resolve).
“He’s been pretty consistent all year,” said Gregg McNair of Guelph, Ont., who bred Captain Suzuki and owns him along with Dean Lockhart of Collingwood, Ont. “He just needs to get a little more kick at the end of his mile next year and he’ll be a nice horse. He’s a good trotter.”
Captain Suzuki paid $4.40 to win.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Fancy Lettering (Stag Party), picked up her first-ever OSS victory with an easy 1:51.2 pace for driver Louis-Philippe Roy and trainer Chantal Mitchell.
Emerging from the outside Post 6 of the six-horse field, Roy guided Fancy Lettering to the front of the pack from the jump and she did the rest, never being challenged along her mile.
“She seems to be good when she goes in her own gear,” said Roy. “She doesn’t seem like one who’ll trip and give you some big speed, but if you let her carry her speed she’ll carry you for a long time.”
Fancy Lettering is a homebred of Dale Towle of Leamington, Ont.
She paid $5.20 to win.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts
Northernchancellor (Muscle Mass) gave Doug McNair his second win of the night for trainer Shane Arsenault in 1:57.1.
Just before the three-quarter mark, McNair moved Northernchancellor from the inside spot in third into second along the outside. The move helped Northernchancellor get in position to catch leader Slayin Theday Away (Muscle Mass) at the wire and win by a head.
Arsenault, from Freelton, Ont., also owns Northernchancellor and only recently began training him.
“I’ve only had him for three starts,” said Arsenaul. “He came to me in great condition. I got him off Mardon Stables, Bruce MacDonald trained him. They had done all the work with him and we just capitalized on the consolation here.”
Northfields Farm Inc. of Meaford, Ont., bred Northernchancellor.
He paid $5.40 to win.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Doug McNair picked up his third Grassroots victory of the evening with Sugar Pie Honey (Bettors Delight).
A homebred of Millar Farms (Stouffville, Ont.), she scored in a time of 1:53.4 for trainer Nick Gallucci, winning by half a length.
The win was Sugar Pie Honey’s first-ever in an OSS event and second overall across six career starts.
She paid $7.70 to win.
Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Driver Trevor Henry scored the first of two Grassroots victories Friday night with Green Glider (Green Manalishi S).
Trotting to victory in a time of 1:57.1, the Scott McEneny-trained filly had an easy mile with Henry moving her to the front of the pack just after the quarter mark as her natural speed out-classed the rest of the 10-horse field.
“She was pretty well in hand,” said Henry. “She had raced in the Gold the week before and tonight was a class drop and she was real good.”
Green Glider is owned by Andrea Lea Racingstables Inc. (Lakefield Gore, Que.) and was bred by Glencairn Racing Stb Inc. of Toronto, Ont.
She paid $2.90 to win.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts
The driver-trainer combination of Travis and Jodie Cullen took home two Grassroots Consolations Friday beginning with Belmont Blazer (Big Jim).
Winning in a mark of 1:53.3, Travis Cullen moved his homebred to the front just after quarter-way and then cruised to a 3-3/4-length victory.
“He’s a nice little colt, he’s just had bad luck all year,” said Dundas, Ont., native Travis Cullen. “I think he’ll be a nice Grassrooter next year. His mom [Sayitall BB] was a really good horse and I own the mare and she hasn’t thrown no size. That’s the first one she’s thrown that’s a good-looking horse.”
Belmont Blazer paid $6.40 to win.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Trevor Henry completed his sweep of the Grassroots Consolation filly trots with Billie Jean Queen (Royalty For Life) for trainer Lindsey Kerr in a time of 1:55.3.
The win marked Billie Jean Queen’s first in an OSS event across nine lifetime starts in the Sires Stakes and she made it look easy as Henry had her set the pace from the gate and she just kept on going, unchallenged right to the end.
Despite how easy it all was Kerr was nervous about the trip.
“I’m not going to lie, I could barely watch the race,” said Kerr. “I, honestly, didn’t know what to expect because you just don’t know what she’s going to do out there.”
Kerr recently began training Billie Jean Queen, taking over from Gabriella Sasso.
“We just got her recently. Her start last week she was very hot and aggressive, so we just made a couple changes to hopefully quiet her down a little bit and it worked out,” Kerr said.
Kerr, of London, Ont., owns Billie Jean Queen along with Todd Kerr (Woodslee, Ont.), and Marc Adams and Mark Manherz (Essex, Ont.). Billie Jean Queen was bred by Lori and Richard Ferguson of Woodville, Ont.
She paid $10.90 to win.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts
Bet The BB (All Bets Off) and Why Wouldnt Ya (Bettors Delight) shared a deadheat victory in 1:51.3, earning the Cullens their second Grassroots win of the evening Friday and Doug McNair his fourth.
McNair and Travis Cullen found themselves in third and fourth positions entering the final turn before Cullen was able to find a little room on the inside during the final stretch to jump to the front with Bet The BB. McNair took an outside approach during the stretch with Why Wouldnt Ya and ended up just catching Cullen at the wire.
Bet The BB is another homebred of Cullen’s. While Why Wouldnt Ya is a homebred of trainer David Brown (Cannington, Ont.), with Gary Brethour (Sunderland, Ont.) a part-owner of the pacer, too.
Bet The BB paid $4.50 to win and Why Wouldnt Ya paid $5.40.
FEATURED PHOTO: Captain Suzuki winning the Grassroots Consolation for two-year-old trotting colts on Sept. 27, 2024 at Woodbine Mohawk Park (New Image Media)
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