INNISFIL, ON — After leading the three-year-old trotting colts into the Grassroots post season, Industrial Strenth scored a solid victory in last week’s Semifinal and established himself as a top contender for the division crown.
“On the track he’s all business,” says Benoit Baillargeon, who picked up training duties on the gelding in mid-July after he was acquired by Joanne Nestved of Dover, DE. “He’s been nothing but good for us.”
Since arriving in Baillargeon’s stable the Angus Hall son has recorded four wins, one second and one fourth for earnings of $44,956, and has already returned his purchase price to Nestved, plus a little interest.
“He’s been a nice bargain so far, he’s well paid for now,” says Baillargeon. “And if we win the big one…”
Industrial Strenth and driver Jim McClure will make their bid for a share of the $100,000 Grassroots Final purse from Post 1 in the eighth race, but Baillargeon is not sure the inside post will see a shift in the trotter’s racing strategy.
“He’s very handy. He can leave if you want and he can race from behind,” says the Rockwood resident. “We’ve been racing him from off the pace and he’s been good.”
Baillargeon admits that the trotter’s Grassroots success has come as a surprise. As late as last weekend the veteran horseman was not sure Industrial Strenth could handle going head-to-head with the toughest colts in the division.
“I didn’t expect him to be that good,” admits Baillargeon. “Last week he raced tougher than I thought he could handle.”
While Industrial Strenth impressed his trainer in last week’s elimination round, three-year-old trotting filly K T Cha Cha delivered the kind of performance her connections were expecting, finishing second by a neck after carving all the fractions. However, on Saturday the Angus Hall daughter will have to come up with a lifetime best effort to overcome Post 8 against seven of the toughest fillies in the province.
“She drew brutal,” says trainer Bud Sinclair, who will also harness two-year-old pacing colt Underground King and three-year-old pacing filly Witness To Fame on Saturday evening. “But she’s got some gate speed, so hopefully she can get spotted and get in the flow of things.”
Like Industrial Strenth, K T Cha Cha has been a pleasant surprise for Sinclair and his partners Bill Elliott of Thorndale, Murray Neilson of London and Dr. Norman Amos of St. Marys.
In eight starts as a two-year-old the filly failed to impress the group, and after a slow start to her sophomore campaign Sinclair was beginning to wonder if the talent evident on the training track would ever emerge in a race. However, things finally came together for the young trotter in the final months of the season and she has been no worse than second in her last five outings.
“I always knew she had talent,” says Sinclair. “And she’s been super, she’s really come into her own the last couple of months. She finally showed what I thought she had. She had to; to be one of the better fillies she had to step up a little.”
That step up earned K T Cha Cha top spot in the division standings after six regular season starts and Sinclair is hoping driver Bruce Richardson can keep the filly near the top on Saturday in spite of their outside post in Race 6.
The Grassroots Championships begin at 7:35 pm on Saturday and continue through Races 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 over the Georgian Downs oval. Eight champions will be crowned and sent home with the lion’s share of the $100,000 Grassroots Final purse.
For a complete list of Grassroots Championship entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/egeodfsa.html