WINDSOR, ON — Windsor Raceway fans got a full serving of excitement on Sunday evening as the top three-year-old pacers and trotters in Ontario battled in eight Grassroots Semifinals.
The trotting fillies set the tone for the evening in their first $30,000 Semifinal with a classic duel between the fan favourite and the point leader from the regular season. Chelemark Misty and Our Pleasure battled through the final turn and down the stretch with Our Pleasure and Ron Waples prevailing by half a length at the wire, stopping the clock at 2:00.1 for owner-trainer John Bosworth of Newmarket.
“She’s a fast horse and she really doesn’t do anything wrong. We don’t do a whole lot with her. We just turn her out between races,” said Bosworth, adding that the Super Pleasure daughter would be rewarded with something other than the usual apples and carrots when she returned to the paddock.
“She loves potatoes. Baked, mashed and especially French fries. Those are her favourites. I was just teasing her with some potatoes one day and she went for them right away. She loves potatoes.”
Abies Gone was just a length back in third and Crown Lavec held on for fourth and a spot in next Sunday’s $100,000 Championship.
The second trotting filly Semifinal went postward as Race 7 and also featured a nail-biting finish between favourite Aspasia and Royal Waltz. There was just a head between the two at the wire, with Aspasia nudging out Royal Waltz to score the 2:01.4 victory for owner-trainer Charalambos Christoforou of Freelton. Summertimedreams was two lengths back in third and Zola Smiger nailed down the final spot in next weekend’s Championship with her fourth-place effort.
Next up were the trotting colts with the favourites coming up trumps in both Race 4 and 6. Trevor Ritchie and Willing And Abel got the job done in a smart 1:58.3 in the first Semifinal for trainer Cal Campbell and owner Whitesand Valley Stables Inc. of Schomberg. The Incredible Abe son hit the wire two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Armbro Warrior and four up on Total Mayhem. Jetset Matt posted a fourth-place finish in spite a of a late break in stride.
In Race 6 Pitandthepandulum and driver Mario Baillargeon used a front end strategy to hit the wire in 1:59.2. Muskoka Connection and Carrland Buddy, co-owned by Dennis and Janet Fairall of Windsor, were neck and neck for second and third while Royal Hope was hot on their tails from fourth.
Ben Wallace trains Pitandthepandulum for owner-breeder Peter Pan Stables Inc. of Pepper Pike, OH and the Milton resident seems to have brought the Balanced Image son to a performance peak at the right time.
“He’s very talented and is getting stronger with every start,” said driver Baillargeon. “He was very weak when he first started racing, but Ben has him on a program and you can see his strength developing as the year went on. He’s getting stronger and stronger and I think by next year, he’s really going to be something. As it is, I’d say he’s the best of this bunch.”
Once the trotters wrapped up their thrill show the pacing fillies took over and pushed the excitement level one notch higher. Driver Trevor Ritchie made his second appearance of the evening in the winner’s circle following Race 9, teaming Camluck filly Signature Seelster to a two and three-quarter length victory over Noble Natasha and Victorious Killean. Naught Enough Hare also paced her way into the Final with her fourth-place effort.
“This was the first time I’d driven her,” said Ritchie, who drove the filly to the win for owners WDM Stables of Ancaster. “(Trainer) Donnie (LeBlanc) told me to take her to the front and that was the right strategy. She got on top and she just tired the rest of them out from chasing her.”
Division leader Maddy Girl was an effortless winner in the tenth race for trainer-driver Jim Ainsworth of Sarnia and partners Shelley Ainsworth of Sarnia and Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga. The Run The Table daughter controlled the fractions throughout the mile en route to the two length victory in 1:55.2. Its A Cam Lie, owned by trainer Robert McIntosh of Windsor and CSX Stables of Liberty Center, OH finished second with Trys Lucky Lady and Daylon Choice well back in third and fourth.
The exciting pacing colts wrapped up the speed show in Races 12 and 13 with favourite Judge Cam jumping out of the pocket to post a 1:53.3 in the first split. The Camluck son reeled in pacesetter Corona Grande, owned by trainer Jack Darling of Windsor and Dan Smith of London, through the stretch to score the one length win. DM Billy The Kid, owned by trainer-driver Donald Rankin, Jr. of McGregor and Don MacDonald of Amherstburg, suffered interference in the final strides and was moved up to third from fourth and Cam Bo Informal squeaked into the Final when he was advanced to fourth from fifth. Gregg McNair trains Judge Cam for breeder Charles Lawrence of Blenheim.
Cliftons Revenge scored an upset victory in the last Semifinal when he and driver Paul Mackenzie overtook Wilder Echo and heavy favourite Daylon Frontier with an impressive move up the outside and a gritty performance down the stretch.
“Everybody kind of had their eyes on Daylon Frontier in this race and we snuck in there and upset the apple cart,” said Mackenzie. “I felt my horse could be in there. He’s got a lot of desire and he’s been pretty strong all year. He’s been good right from the get-go.”
Less than one length separated Cliftons Revenge, Wilder Echo and Daylon Frontier at the 1:53.1 finish. Big Louie closed well from the back of the pack to pick up the fourth-place finisher’s share of the $30,000 Semifinal purse.
The Merks Stable of Scarsdale, NY own the A Stud Named Sue colt, who sat atop the point standings with three wins, two seconds and one fifth in six regular season starts, and Joe Pereira handles training duties.
The top four finishers from each Semifinal return to Windsor Raceway next Sunday for their respective $100,000 Grassroots Championships. The outstanding display of Ontario grown talent will get under way at 6:30 pm.