DUNDAS, ON — On a lightning fast afternoon at Flamboro Downs, three-year-old pacing colt Banana Joes Bar clocked the sharpest mile of six Grassroots divisions with an Ontario Sires Stakes equalling 1:52.1 performance.

With Brad Forward in the race bike, Banana Joes Bar rocked out of Post 6 to a :26.3 opening quarter and maintained his momentum through a :55.1 half and 1:23.4 three-quarters. Matty McGee did his best to keep up, but was two lengths behind Banana Joes Bar as the winner swept across the wire in 1:52.1. Daylon Classic was three and three-quarter lengths back in third.

The mile equalled the 1:52.1 record for three-year-old pacing colts on a half-mile track set at Flamboro by former Ontario Sires Stakes competitors Famous Seelster (2003) and Pacific Titan (2002).

John Ciarpelli trains Banana Joes Bar for Anne Della Maestra of Waterdown. Through 18 starts this season the Northern Luck son has delivered nine wins and one second for earnings of $102,819. Undefeated in three Grassroots starts, the colt finished in a tie for fourth in the division standings and will return to Flamboro Downs for the Sept. 29 Grassroots Semifinals.

Albert In The City finished the regular season atop the Grassroots standings with a flawless record of five wins in five starts. The Albert Albert son extended his remarkable unbeaten streak to 15 with a 1:54 score in the last $17,695 division.

Leaving from Post 5, regular reinsman Trevor Henry and Albert In The City battled their way to the front just past the :27.3 opening quarter then allowed Object Of Art to take over the lead heading by the :57.3 half. Object Of Art hit the three-quarters in 1:25, but could not hold off Albert In The City down the stretch and had to settle for second, one and three-quarter lengths behind the division leader.

Billy Kay claimed third-place honours for Jim Ayotte of Grimsby, finishing 18 lengths behind the winners.

Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein owns Albert In The City and Paul Taylor trains the gifted young pacer, who boasts a record of 16 wins, one second and one third in 18 starts.

Hyperion Hanover made the leap into the post season with a 1:53 victory in the seventh race. The Camluck gelding and driver Paul Mackenzie got away fifth from the trailing Post 9, powered up to the front at the half and cruised home a one and three-quarter length winner over Armbro Dane and Slippery Phil.

Trained by Rockwood resident Robert Fellows for S S G Stables of North Boston, NY, Hyperion Hanover split his time between the Gold and Grassroots programs this summer. The gelding is currently ranked twelfth in the race for one of 10 Gold Series Super Final berths, with one regular season event remaining, while Saturday’s victory boosted him into eighth spot in the Grassroots standings, to guarantee him a spot in the Sept. 29 Semifinal.

The other Grassroots divisions went to Semalu Non Stop in 1:55.3, Golden Standard in 1:54.3 and Ramegade Bruiser in 1:53.3.

Flamboro Downs will host the top 16 point earners from all of the three-year-old Grassroots divisions on Sept. 29 and from the two-year-old divisions on Sept. 30. The top four finishers from each $30,000 Semifinal will then return to the Dundas oval to battle in their respective $100,000 Grassroots Championship on Oct. 7.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rflmdsa.html