SEPT. 18, 2015 – Mohawk Racetrack fans got a second evening of outstanding Grassroots Semi-Final action on Friday, courtesy of the province's top harness racing three-year-old pacers and trotters.
In the first of the $20,000 Semi-Finals, driver Chris Christoforou teamed trotting gelding Irish Scotch to a come from behind victory in a mile that saw the top five finishers separated by less than two lengths. The fan favourites hit the wire one length ahead of Namesmuscle, Parkhill Lancelot, Buzz and A Little More Love, stopping the teletimer in a personal best 1:55.4.
"It worked out very well," said owner-trainer Shane Arsenault of Waterdown, ON. "Chris was very patient and tidy with him so it worked out well."
Friday's outing was Christoforou's first appearance in Irish Scotch's race bike, and his first Ontario Sires Stakes victory since recovering from a broken collarbone. Arsenault asked the Campbellville, ON resident to drive the son of Muscle Mass because he felt Christoforou's patience and experience would benefit the trotter.
"I just thought he would complement the horse a little bit, you know he's quiet with trotters and he handles them well, and this guy can be a little bit excitable sometimes," said the trainer. "I think he gets more keyed up when he's at the racetrack, definitely. It does kind of spin him a bit."
Irish Scotch earned his spot in the Semi-Final with a win in the last regular season Grassroots event. Prior to that Sept. 3 victory at Flamboro Downs, the gelding had recorded one third, two fourths, and two sixths in Grassroots action.
Irish Scotch
In the first trotting filly Semi-Final, Meadow Seelster was the picture of cool, cruising along on the front end to a four and one-quarter length victory in a personal best 1:55. Division point leader Renegade Magic finished second, Oh My Magic was third, Desis Dream finished fourth and Allies Gift rounded out the qualifiers for next Saturday's Grassroots Championship.
'She's a good mare, she's tough as nails," said trainer Bill Budd of Waterdown, ON, who conditions Meadow Seelster for Bill Dixon of Caledon, ON. "They pull on her; they're pulling on the wrong horse. That's a new mark for her too. She was good, real good."
The daughter of Holiday Road and Must Sold Dream captured two of three regular season Grassroots starts and finished third in the other.
Meadow Seelster
A three-time winner in regular season action, Dublin Rose collected her fourth Grassroots trophy with a 1:53 triumph in the first pacing filly Semi-Final. The daughter of Major In Art powered out of the pocket in the stretch and paced home to a two length score over Nationalize, Ainsleynoelle, Northern Starlet and OK Hallelujah.
"She won pretty handily," said driver Jody Jamieson of Moffat, ON, who piloted the fan favourite to the win for trainer Dave Menary of Cambridge, ON and owner Jerry Clark of Finksburg, MD. "I got out kind of flat footed and the outside horses had a head of steam on me, but she just dug in right to the wire, she was really good."
Dublin Rose
Duh Bubbees also battled right to the wire to capture the second trotting colt Semi-Final. The Up Front Ben son finished one length in front of Seeking Steven, stopping the clock in 1:57.1. Favourite In Secret finished third, Mandeville was fourth and Its Huw You Know rounded out the top five. Division point leader Kadabrasnewrecruit made a series of breaks and finished at the back of the pack, the only division leader not advancing to the Grassroots Championships.
Jamie Wilson of Huron Park, ON bred and trains Du Bubbees and Chris Wilson, also of Huron Park, owns the trotter, who won a Grassroots event at Mohawk on July 3 and finished sixth and seventh in his other two regular season appearances.
Duh Bubbees
Driver Jody Jamieson captured his second Semi-Final with pacing colt Make Some Luck, who went gate-to-wire in the seventh race. The Camluck gelding romped to a three and one-half length victory over His Boy Elroy, Mach Code, Artful Way and Western Bayama, recording a personal best 1:51.2.
"That's only the second time he's raced off the front end and he win both times. He really was strong the last time he win off the front end, and he was strong tonight, I guess he likes the front end," said trainer Carl Jamieson of Rockwood, ON. "He seems to be better this year than he was last year. He was more immature last year, he's really come a long way."
In six regular season starts Make Some Luck picked up two wins, two seconds and two thirds, finishing fourth in the point standings. Jody Jamieson's numbered company 1140545 Ontario Ltd. owns the pacer.
Make Some Luck
The second pacing colt Semi-Final went to Mac Raider, who prevailed by one-half length in another finish that saw less than two lengths separate the top five colts. Thinkofagameplan finished second, fan favourite and division point leader Southwind Indy was third, Win One Soon finished fourth and The Fire Within was fifth.
Doug McNair of Guelph, ON engineered the 1:52.3. win for his father, trainer Gregg McNair of Guelph, Leonard Gamble of Etobicoke, ON, and Don MacDonald and David Kryway of Amherstburg, ON. In six regular season outings the Mach Three gelding had posted one win, one second, one fourth, one fifth, one sixth and one eighth.
Mac Raider
Judy The Beauty snuck up the rail to claim victory in the second trotting filly Semi-Final. The Muscle Mass daughter and driver James MacDonald of Guelph hit the wire in 1:56.4, a new personal best for the filly. Favourite World Class Izzy was one-half length back in second, with Giona, Hope Rises and Railee Priti completing the top five.
Keith Jones of Midland, ON conditions Judy The Beauty for Randy Zhok of Dover Centre, ON. The filly was the runner-up in the division point race, with two wins, two seconds and one fifth to her credit in five regular season starts.
Judy The Beauty
Pacing filly Lovely Erin claimed the last Semi-Final trophy of the evening, sailing home a three and one-quarter length winner in 1:53.2. Aniston Seelster, Machmeter, Stonebridge Quest – who went undefeated in four regular season starts to finish atop the point standings – and Brown Brinny also advanced to the Grassroots Championship.
Doug McNair crafted the win, the Sportswriter daughter's third straight in Grassroots action, for trainer Ron Adams of LaSalle, ON and 1362313 Ontario Ltd. of Windsor, ON.
Lovely Erin
The top five finishers from each Semi-Final will return to Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday, Sept. 26 for the 2015 Grassroots Championship.
Ontario Horse Racing