CLINTON, ON — Ontario’s talented two-year-old pacing colts put on a speed show for Clinton Raceway fans Sunday afternoon that saw the track record lowered by three-fifths of a second and nine of 10 Grassroots divisions go faster than 2:00.
Claiming his place in the record books with a 1:57.1 romp in the ninth race was Bill Robinson trainee Front Row. The Camluck son and driver Ray McLean, Jr. powered up the outside heading to the halfway marker and then proceeded to draw away from the field with every step, reaching the wire eight and a quarter lengths ahead of local youngster Distinctiv Lewy, owned by trainer Richard Griffiths and Burt Newman of Thorndale and Jim Lewis of Exeter. Bando Deister rounded out the top three in the $18,000 skirmish.
The mile demolished the former freshman pacing colt record of 1:57.4, set by Firstline Luck in 2001, and earned Front Row his first ticket to the winner’s circle in seven starts.
Jerry Velesko of Middleport, NY, Joseph Critelli of Lockport, NY and James Martin and William Witala of Clarence Center, NY own the talented young pacer, who was an $8,000 US purchase at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale and has earned $18,164 in his brief career.
In the only race to go slower than 2:00, a result of interference caused to three-quarters of the field at the start, Reg Gassien piloted Blackstrap to a narrow victory over Dreamfair Legacy and Northern Exchange. Trainer Jim Ainsworth of Sarnia shares ownership on Blackstrap with William Boden of Vancouver, BC and Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga. The 2:00.3 win was the Northern Luck son’s second in Grassroots action and boosted him into the top 16 with just one regular season event remaining.
Blackstrap’s win was the first of two occasions that Gassien and Ainsworth teamed up to have their picture taken on the beautiful fall afternoon. The second came after Race 10 when Sunny Supreme waltzed to an effortless 1:58.1 victory, reaching the wire three and three-quarter lengths ahead of Buck Neigh Kid and Western Gem.
Ainsworth and Boden share ownership on Sunny Supreme, who has a delivered a flawless season through four starts. The Northern Luck son captured his debut at Hiawatha Horse Park on Aug. 7 and then captured Grassroots divisions at Dresden Raceway and Sudbury Downs. Sunday’s victory assures the colt of a spot on the gate in the Oct. 24 Grassroots Semifinals at Western Fair Raceway.
Gassien and Ainsworth also scored a near miss in the first race of the afternoon when Whitesand Lord led for much of the 1:58.2 mile before yielding to Northern Raucous in the stretch.
Trevor Henry engineered Northern Raucous’ come-from-behind victory for trainer Jay Cochlin and owners Capital A Investments Ltd. of Lower Cambridge, NB. The win was the Northern Luck son’s second of the season and his first in Grassroots action. Island Zeeker picked up the third-place finisher’s share after pressing the pace during the last half of the mile.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Stonebridge Galaxy in 1:59.3, Rapida in 1:58.2, Tristin Seelster in 1:57.4, Im A Rustler Too in 1:58.1, XLB Joker in 1:59.3 and Cam Lucky in 1:59.2.
The two-year-old pacing colts make their last regular season start at Flamboro Downs on Oct. 12 before the top 16 point earners head to Western Fair Raceway on Oct. 24 for Semifinal action. The top four finishers from each of the Semifinals will then compete in the $100,000 Grassroots Championship on Oct. 31.
Clinton Raceway wraps up its September showcase of Ontario Sires Stakes talent next Sunday afternoon with Grassroots action for the exciting three-year-old pacing fillies.