INNISFIL, ON — In spite of the cold, wet conditions, Georgian Downs fans were treated to an exceptional evening of racing Saturday as the top Grassroots performers battled in eight $100,000 Finals.
Four races were decided by less than one length, including the two-year-old pacing colt battle, which went to the division point leader Acceptable Risk. The Intrepid Seelster son and driver Randy Fritz clocked the fastest time of the evening, stopping the teletimer at 1:56 over a gradually deteriorating track rated one second slower than normal.
“He just got beat last week and this time it was our turn,” said Fritz from the winner’s circle. “I thought he was the best, but anything can happen in a horse race.”
Fritz gave the colt a flawless pocket trip behind pacesetter and fan favourite Winbak Noah and then sprinted down the stretch to secure the neck victory over a fast closing Underground King. Winbak Noah settled for third, just half a length behind the winner.
“I liked the three-hole, I was really happy with that post,” said Dan Morrissey, who trains Acceptable Risk for his father David Morrissey of Ailsa Craig and Daniel McCann and William Woodburn of Parkhill. “And as I watched it I sure liked the trip he was getting. It was our turn this week.”
The victory boosted Acceptable Risk’s record to seven wins and two seconds in 10 starts, and earnings of $112,628.
Fritz made a second appearance in the Georgian Downs winner’s circle with two-year-old pacing filly Fantasy Winner, who went the long way around the five-eighths mile track to earn a three-quarter length victory over Pacific Yankee and Back To Good. A regular bridesmaid on the Grassroots circuit, the Island Fantasy daughter made her first appearance in the winner’s enclosure with the 1:59 effort.
“It’s a nice way to break a maiden, just beautiful,” said the filly’s trainer Garry Merner. “She couldn’t have picked a better time.”
Merner trains the daughter of Island Fantasy and former Ontario Sires Stakes victor Canbeawinner for Russell and Elaine MacKinnon of Dagsboro, DE. A $2,500 purchase as a yearling, Fantasy Winner finished the season with a record of one win, four seconds and three thirds and earnings of $69,563 though 13 starts.
Fritz was nudged out of a third winning performance when Busta Balls claimed a neck victory in 2:01.1 over Hologram Hanover and his mount Cheque Lavec in the three-year-old trotting filly Championship. All three fillies came from the back of the pack to earn their Grassroots pay cheques, forcing fan favourite Tyrone Megabucks into fourth.
Scott Coulter drove Busta Balls to her second lifetime win for trainer Marcel Hebert of Dundas and his partners Erminio Ciani of Toronto, Elaine Van Every of Hagersville and Shirley Burra of Flamborough.
“If I could just get her away clear, we agreed we wouldn’t have a problem because she’s a grinding, big mare,” said Coulter after the race. “I ended up with second over cover and it took me to the top of the lane. When she slipped off that helmet (Jim McClure with Hologram Hanover), she raced to the wire.
“That’s always been her thing,” added the young reinsman. “She doesn’t give up, she just keeps on trucking.”
As the rain continued to fall the track condition was downgraded to good, but that did not stop three-year-old pacing filly Stonebridge Celest from reeling off a 1:56.1 triumph in Race 9. The Camluck miss and driver Allan Cullen controlled the pace from start to finish, laying down fractions of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:25.3, and hit the wire four lengths up on Youthful Seelster and 10 lengths ahead of favourite Witness To Fame.
“I thought she’d be really good tonight, she’s just been better and better every time out. I was very confident in her,” said Larry Fitzsimmons, who trains Stonebridge Celest for Clarence Beitz of Mildmay. “He (Cullen) said he was going to leave with her, and he wasn’t kidding, but she’s such a nice mare she could handle it.”
Caviarandsoftmusic wrapped up the outstanding evening of Grassroots action with a popular 1:57.1 victory over Twilight Baron and Love Me Naut. Dennis St. Pierre gave up eight drives at Hippodrome de Montreal to drive the three-year-old pacer for owner Randy Zane’s Gestion Zane Inc. of Lachine, QC, and the reinsman delivered a heart pounding come-from-behind steer to earn the Camluck son his fifth victory.
“I figured all kinds of strategy, but never the strategy that was this one,” said St. Pierre of the Shane Arsenault trainee. “I think he can leave better than that, but he was on the left line and he didn’t drive well. I thought, �Oh boy, I’m in trouble,’ in the first turn. That’s why I had to move early.
“When I saw the two up there (Gothic Crusader and Kentucky Rebel) were done, that’s when I decided to go three-wide and let the horse do the rest.”
The other Grassroots Championships went to two-year-old trotting filly Porsche Hall in 2:01.3, two-year-old trotting colt Deputy Dylan in 2:03 and three-year-old trotting colt Viva Paco in 1:57.3.
The Ontario Sires Stakes program makes one last stop at Georgian Downs on Saturday, Nov. 19 with Trillium Series action for Porsche Hall and her two-year-old trotting filly peers.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rgeodfsa.html