GLOUCESTER, ON — Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening with four Grassroots divisions for the two-year-old trotting colts.
Bob McIntosh, last year’s Johnston Cup winner as the leading trainer in the Ontario Sires Stakes, starts a trio of colts in the third Grassroots event of the season including a pair seeking refuge from the Gold Series hunt. Both Mr Tantalizer and Tyrone Dillon took two shots at the Gold Series colts with moderate success, but McIntosh opted to drop down to the Grassroots level in hopes of building up the pair’s confidence.
“They spent a little time chasing the Gold colts around, but they’re not quite up to that,” explains the Windsor resident. “That’s what the Grassroots are for, a lesser competition to get their confidence up.”
Mr Tantalizer makes his Grassroots debut from Post 6 in the first division for McIntosh and his partners CSX Stables of Liberty Center, OH and Robert Emery of Windsor. The Mr Lavec son has posted one second and one third in five starts and will be reunited with driver Don McElroy, who piloted him to a runner-up finish in the July 29 Gold Eliminations at Elmira Raceway.
McElroy, who was last year’s top driver in the OSS program, will also steer Tyrone Dillon from Post 1 in the seventh race for McIntosh, CSX Stables and Dave Boyle of Bowmanville. The Balanced Image youngster has been slightly more successful than his stablemate with one win, one second and one third from five starts.
The third entry from McIntosh’s string is Wireless Image, who will start from Post 8 in Race 9. The Balanced Image son is the least experienced of the trio, with just two starts under his belt.
“He’s just a green horse. He’s a full brother to Direct Dial ($109,094), but he’s a lot easier to manage. He’s got more brains,” says McIntosh. “He raced last night (Aug. 14) at Windsor and raced pretty good so I decided to throw him on the load.”
Wireless Image won his Aug. 14 start in 2:03.3 and McIntosh and his partners CSX Stables and Michael Kohler of Sterling Heights, MI hope the novice trotter can carry his forward momentum into Sunday’s $22,709 contest.
McElroy and Wireless Image will face division leader Kuruption from Post 3 in Race 9. The son of K M Lazer sits atop the Grassroots standings with 75 points from one win and one second and is one of nine colts hailing from Arthur-based trainer Ross Henry’s barn.
Breathing down Kuruption’s neck from second spot in the standings is Certified Election, bred, owned and trained by Ohio resident Ivan Sugg. A long time admirer of the Ontario Sires Stakes program Sugg decided to breed his mare Almahurst Heather to Mr Lavec in 1999 and is now making regular trips north of the border with the result of that mating.
“It’s a good program, I’ve always liked the (OSS) program,” says Sugg. “She was a pretty nice mare for me so I bred her up there and he’s not too bad. He’s not the best, by far, but he’s doing all right in the Grassroots.”
Sugg has confined the colt’s starts to the Grassroots program and after two outings Certified Election has one first and one third to his credit. Sugg’s son Duke will steer the colt from Post 8 in the eleventh race on Sunday and although the Deshler, OH resident admits the outside spot is not ideal he does not expect it to rattle Certified Election.
“It shouldn’t bother him. He’s pretty flexible, you can take him off the gate or leave with him,” says Sugg. “He’s not a real fast leaver, but at Belleville (Aug. 5) he left and dropped in a hole.”
Certified Election and the other 33 colts making the trip to Gloucester for Rideau Carleton Raceway’s 6:30 pm program on Sunday will compete for a total of $90,236 in Races 3, 7, 9, and 11. The freshman trotters will also be trying to garner Grassroots points in their quest for a berth in the $140,000 post season.