INNISFIL, ON — Ontario’s two-year-old pacing colts opened their Grassroots season at Georgian Downs on Tuesday evening with a remarkable display of talent that saw four of seven divisions go faster than 1:57.
Grin Tin Tin and driver Michael Langdon claimed the fastest mile of the evening with their 1:56 score in the second race. The Grinfromeartoear son survived a rough trip that saw him stuck on the outside through the first quarter, and three-wide around the final turn, to record the two and a half length victory over R Ballisticmissile and Red Star Candidate.
Duane Marfisi trains Grin Tin Tin for David Scarf of New York, NY and Thomas Kaufman of Scarsdale, NY. The pair anted up $70,000 US for the colt at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale and recouped $9,000 of that in Grin Tin Tin’s racing debut.
Another Grinfromeartoear son posted the second fastest mile of the night in the last Grassroots division. Randy Waples piloted Putasmileon to the eight length victory in 1:56.2 with a classic come-from-behind trip. The colt reeled in the leaders heading to the three-quarter pole and then accelerated down the stretch to the impressive win over Fit For Carl and Greystone Guy.
Fred Monteleone of Pompano Beach, FL acquired Putasmileon out of the Kentucky Standardbred Yearling Sale last September for $40,000 US and placed him in the care of Canada’s 2002 Trainer of the Year Bill Robinson.
Waples and Robinson also teamed up for a win in the eighth race with Apache Limo, who used similar come from behind tactics to score the three-quarter length win over pacesetter Whistle Bear and Die Hard Amos.
A $13,500 yearling at the Canadian Classic Sale, Apache Limo stopped the clock in a relatively sedate 1:58. CMR Farms of Hagersville own the Apaches Fame son.
Trainer Carl Jamieson also captured a pair of Grassroots divisions, stepping into the race bike himself in the first race aboard Passion Lincoln. The Village Jiffy son blasted to the front from Post 7 and never glanced back, cruising under the wire one and three-quarter lengths ahead of Pollys Luck and Mystic Beau in 1:56.3. Jarvis resident Jamieson shares ownership on Passion Lincoln, a $14,00 yearling, with Gerald Ross of Downsview, Edward Smith of Mississauga and Brian Paquet of Quebec, QC.
Jamieson handed the lines over to his son Jody in the fourth race and the young reinsman deftly steered Red Star Bubba to a 1:56.4 victory. Leaving from Post 4, the younger Jamieson chose to stalk the leaders and wait until the three-quarter marker to take command of the race. At the wire the Village Jiffy son was five and one-quarter lengths ahead of Keltic Baron and three more in front of Jayel Colin.
Carl Jamieson, Ross, Smith and Paquet also own Red Star Bubba, who was an $18,000 purchase at the Canadian Classic Sale.
The other divisions went to Island Zeeker in 1:58.4 — with Hy Bert, owned by Alvin Bowman and Judy Campbell of Stayner, getting up for second — and Seawind Fame in 1:59.
The two-year-old pacing colts make their next Grassroots start at Hanover Raceway on July 12 and, for those colts looking for a bigger challenge, the Gold Series makes it’s second stop at Woodbine Racetrack on July 10.
Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Georgian Downs on July 15 with Gold Series Eliminations for the two-year-old pacing fillies.