GLOUCESTER, ON — Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday evening with an impressive line up of three-year-old pacing colts competing for $165,000 in 11 Grassroots divisions.
Ottawa area fans will be tuning in with added interest to the fourth division which pits an impressive local colt against one of the early season kings of the Grassroots Series. Both Moonlitebillandbob and Cherry Tree Chuck head into Race 6 with three consecutive victories under their belt, and both disposed of the competition by almost embarrassing margins.
“He’s getting some notice by his margin of victory, even if it is in the bottom class,” says part-owner Spencer Silverman of Moonlitebillandbob, who has hit the wire a total of 41 and one-quarter lengths ahead of his competition in the maiden classes at Rideau Carleton Raceway in recent weeks. “But it looks as though he’s got his work cut out for him this week. He drew in against Cherry Tree Chuck, who won his first Grassroots start by 11 lengths.”
Moonlitebillandbob will be making his first stab at the Grassroots program for Silverman and partners Robert McNamara of Clarence Creek and Jerome Voldock of Arnprior, although the Gothic Dream son did make one start in the Gold Series as a two-year-old.
“What attracted me to the horse was that his one start as a two-year-old was in a Gold Elimination. He finished fifth after making a break,” says Ottawa resident Silverman, who acquired a share of the pacer in December 2003. “His knees weren’t closed so they wisely decided to wait on him.”
After waiting several months for the colt to mature, trainer Sherry Korniski of Clarence Creek readied Moonlitebillandbob for an April racing debut, but an altercation with a fence delayed the start of his career another two months.
“He ran into a fence and had to have surgery to have bone chips removed from his shoulder, but the vet said there wouldn’t be any long term problems,” says Silverman. “We lost six weeks, but maybe in the long term it will work out for the best.”
Following his surgery Moonlitebillandbob made a break over a sloppy track at Rideau and finished fifth, but since a May 28 qualifier the young pacer has been invincible.
“He’d always trained well, but in his second qualifier he began to show what he can do,” says the long-time owner. “However, we still don’t know what he can do yet. He hasn’t had anybody cut the mile for him or come up beside him.”
Facing Cherry Tree Chuck and six other Grassroots veterans on Thursday, Silverman is certain that Moonlitebillandbob will have his work cut out for him. The colt and regular driver John MacDonald will leave from Post 2, while Cherry Tree Chuck gets Post 4.
“He’s got a good post position but I can think of other horses I’d rather race against than Cherry Tree Chuck,” laments Silverman. “But sooner or later you have to find out what the real world is like.”
When Moonlitebillandbob paced to his second win on June 13, eight of Silverman’s friends were on hand to cheer the colt on and have their photo taken in the Rideau winner’s circle. Although he is not as confident of the outcome as he was before that non-winners of one race contest two weeks ago, Silverman is certain that the talented pacer will have some hometown support.
“It will be tougher competition than the non-winners of one race or non-winners of $10,000. He’ll need everything going for him,” says the owner. “But he should have some local fans supporting him, and if he does win on Thursday the people who do support him will get more than $2.20 for their investment.”
Rideau Carleton Raceway sends the first Grassroots division to the post at 6:30 pm on Thursday and also features the three-year-old pacing colts in Races 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.