GLOUCESTER, ON — Local colt Swingman delivered the fastest mile of 11 Grassroots divisions at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday evening, stopping the clock in a sharp 1:56.1 over a sloppy track rated two seconds slower than normal.
Leaving from Post 2 the Northern Luck son and driver Darrell Coville fired straight to the front of the field of three-year-old pacing colts and never faced a challenge, reaching the wire seven lengths ahead of Lucky Brad and Budds Fame. The win was Swingman’s fifth of the season and his first since May 25.
Golfman Stables of Ottawa bred and own Swingman, who boosted his lifetime earnings to $58,742 with the victory.
Driver Don McElroy scored a trio of Grassroots wins on Thursday evening to jump back into top spot in the Lampman Cup race. The Ingersoll resident was quick to find the winner’s circle, engineering an impressive come-from-behind victory with favourite XLB Joker in the first division.
Sitting on the outside through more than half of the mile McElroy and XLB Joker powered down the stretch to the 1:57.1 victory over Fivendime and Shadys Albert. New Jersey resident Mark Harder trains the Rambaran son for his partner Robert Murphy of White Rock, BC.
One race later McElroy was back in front of the Rideau Carleton photographer with the second of eight Grassroots favourites to deliver the goods. The veteran reinsman opted for front-end tactics to earn Cam Lucky his second victory in five starts, stopping the teletimer at 1:57.2. HBFs Power Play and Mustang Any Size rounded out the top three in the $15,000 contest.
Windsor-based trainer Bob McIntosh bred the son of Camluck and Lingerie and conditions him for partners Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington and Michael Kohler of Sterling Heights, MI.
McElroy completed his driving hat trick in the thirteenth race, steering Joe Stutzman trainee Front Row to a three length 1:57.2 victory over favourite Groovie Day and Lance Baran. Jerry Velesko of Middleport, NY, Joseph Critelli of Lockport, NY and James Martin and William Switala of Clarence Center, NY own the Camluck colt, who was making his first visit of the season to the winner’s circle.
Sylvain Filion also made more than one appearance in the winner’s enclosure, piloting heavy favourite Cherry Tree Chuck to a 1:59 victory in Race 6 and Tristin Seelster to a 1:59.3 score in the tenth.
Ian Reid trains Cherry Tree Chuck for owner-breeder Alan Kirschenbaum of Burbank, CA. The win was the Albert Albert son’s fourth straight, bringing his total to five for the year. Lyons Rocket was second and Moonlitebillandbob, owned by Robert McNamara of Clarence Creek, Jerome Voldock of Arnprior and Spencer Silverman of Ottawa, picked up the third-place finisher’s share in his Ontario Sires Stakes debut.
Trainer Gregg McNair of Guelph, Leonard Gamble of Etobicoke and Don MacDonald of Amherstburg share ownership on Tristin Seelster, who now has two Grassroots victories to his credit.
The other divisions went to Sunny Supreme in 1:59.1, Winfromheretohere in 1:57.2, Up Front Rustler in 1:58.4, Royel Rookie in 1:59.1 and Bootilicious in 1:58.1.
The three-year-old pacing colts make their third Grassroots start July 17 at Sudbury Downs, while Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Rideau Carleton Raceway this Sunday, June 27 with Trillium Series action for the two-year-old trotting fillies.