WINDSOR, ON — Dave Wall scored a pair of victories in Grassroots action at Windsor Raceway on Saturday evening, kicking off the competition with a 1:59.3 win behind Princetown Michael.
“Mr. OSS” sent two-year-old trotting colt Princetown Michael directly to the front from Post 6 and cruised around Windsor’s five-eighths mile oval in fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:28 before accelerating away to the 10 length victory over Loose Change Louie and E B Lenny.
The win was the second straight in Grassroots action for the U S Open son, trained by Doug Brown for breeder John Rogers of Summerside, PEI and his partner Russel Newman of North Sydney, NS. Added to one third and one fifth-place finish in three other Grassroots starts, the gelding wrapped up the regular season in seventh spot in the division standings with 117 points.
Six races later Wall was back in the winner’s circle after a carbon copy performance with E L Luxury Trade, who led the field of 10 to a 2:02.1 victory. Flight Dream finished two and one quarter lengths back in second and Eatonmeadow Clyde rounded out the top three in the $20,337 contest.
Gary Bourgon trains E L Luxury Trade for Erkki Laakkonen of Georgetown, and opted to move the colt into the Grassroots after an unsuccessful bout against the Gold Series colts. The son of Trade Balance scored a victory in his Grassroots debut at Hiawatha Horse Park on Sept. 25 and heads into the post season tied for ninth in the standings.
Sharing ninth spot with E L Luxury Trade is Tyrone Burberry, who posted his second Grassroots victory in the fourth race. The King Conch son and driver Don McElroy stalked pacesetter Knockout through fractions of :28.2, :59.2 and 1:29.3 on their way to the 2:01.1 victory. Knockout settled for second and Schemin N Dreamin landed in the third spot.
Trainer Bob McIntosh of La Salle shares ownership on Tyrone Burberry with breeder Dave Boyle of Bowmanville. In eight starts the colt boasts a record of three wins, one second and one third for earnings of $33,691.
The third Grassroots division saw the biggest upset of the evening as trainer-driver Cedric Herserant piloted Colombe Dream to his first top three finish of the season. Benefiting from errors made by the fans’ top three choices, the Fill V son and Herserant scored a one and a half length win in 2:03.3 and rewarded their fans with a handsome $35.00 win pay out, a $10.30 place dividend and a $6.90 return on a show wager.
Runner-up Windsong Aston paid $17.50 and $9.20 to his loyal supporters and Amazing Joe’s third-place finish was worth $9.00. The exactor returned a solid $628.80, while anyone fortunate enough to select the 5 – 10 -3 triactor went home $8,718.50 richer.
Dream With Me Stable of Caledon East owns Colombe Dream, whose surprise victory was not enough to boost him into a spot in the post season.
The final division went to Nichols Lavec, who eked out a neck victory over division leader Shady Suspect and Robert Lavictoire in 2:01. Dan Creighton trains the Mr Lavec son, a two-time Grassroots winner, for his partners in the Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy.
The top 16 point earners head to Western Fair Raceway on Oct. 24 for a pair of Semifinals, with the top four finishers from each Semifinal earning a spot in the Grassroots Championship on Oct. 31.
Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Windsor Raceway next Saturday, Oct. 25 when the lightning fast three-year-old pacing fillies roll into town for their last Gold Series Elimination.