FRASERVILLE, ON — Richard Webb and Paul Jackson added two Grassroots trophies to their hardware collection when two-year-old pacing colts SA Cheerokee Chief and Armbro Cougar came up with victories in Ontario Sires Stakes action at Kawartha Downs on Tuesday evening.
SA Cheerokee Chief led off the successful evening for the two men in Race 3, pacing around his local oval in an impressive 1:55.2, just two-fifths of a second off the track record. Webb fired the Presidential Ball son out of Post 7 and was three-wide as they reached the :27.2 opening quarter. Clearing to the front the pair then laid down a :56.2 half and 1:25.2 three-quarters before pacing home to the quarter length victory over KDSMercury. Twin B Hold finished five lengths behind the leaders in third.
Bobcaygeon resident Jackson owns SA Cheerokee Chief, a $65,000 yearling who improved his freshman record to three wins in six starts with the effort. The gelding shaved almost two full seconds off his former personal best with the win.
Eight races later Armbro Cougar wrapped up the event with an equally solid effort. Once again, Webb opted for front end tactics and the Island Fantasy son paced through fractions of :28.3, :59.4 and 1:28.3 on his way to the 1:56.4 victory. CTS finished two and one-quarter lengths back in second, out sprinting third-place finisher Darwin Seelster to the wire.
Gore’s Landing resident Webb also drove Stan Seelster to a fourth-place finish in his Grassroots debut, but missed earning a piece of the provincial pie with Lucky Lutz, who finished sixth.
Woodbine Entertainment Group regular Randy Waples made his trip to Fraserville a profitable one, capturing three Grassroots events, including a track record equalling performance with Duane Marfisi trainee Extreme Three in the eighth race.
Waples and Extreme Three led for much of the mile and left the competition gasping with an impressive finishing kick that propelled them to the two and a half length win in 1:55. Isle Of Patmos pressed the pace through the latter half of the mile and finished second, while Apache Rain Dance closed well to earn the third-place finisher’s share.
Bred and owned by Linda Magid of Cambridge, Extreme Three is a full brother to $2.37 million winner Mach Three. The victory was the Matts Scooter son’s second start, and his first complete mile. Waples opted to pull the colt up in his July 22 debut at Flamboro Downs after Extreme Three made a break.
Waples also scored a victory in the first Grassroots division with Douglas Lovely’s Toofasttoofurious. The Albert Albert son snatched the 1:56.3 victory away from fan favourite Canuck Luck in the stretch to score his second win in three starts. London resident Lovely shares ownership on Toofasttoofurious with John Kantzas of Thorndale.
Putnam Express rounded out the top three in the $15,000 contest.
Total Impact provided Waples with his last ride to the winner’s circle, circling the Kawartha oval in 1:56.4 to record the three-quarter length victory over Fast Factor and Style N Substance. Daryl Roberts trains the Astreos colt for Donald Douglas and John Shepley of Ingersoll and Thomas Lawson of London.
The other Grassroots divisions went to Random Rogue in 1:56.1, Armbro Cabot in 1:56.1, Grand Yank in 1:56.2, Windsun Fire N Ice in 1:57 and The Thief in 1:56.1.
The two-year-old pacing colts make their fifth of six Grassroots starts on Sept. 23 at Hiawatha Horse Park, while Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Kawartha Downs next Tuesday, Aug. 31 with Grassroots action for the two-year-old trotting fillies.