WOODSTOCK, ON — At the halfway mark in the season, brothers Wayne and Trevor Henry lead the Ontario Sires Stakes trainer and driver standings by a comfortable margin, and afternoons like the pair had at Woodstock Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 1 do not lend a great deal of hope to the men and women chasing them.

Wayne Henry harnessed a two-year-old trotting colt in all six Grassroots divisions at Woodstock, and hauled home four trophies and one third-place cheque. The Arthur resident drove two of the winners himself, while brother Trevor handled the lines on the other two winners and the third-place finisher.

Among the colts that Wayne Henry piloted was Striker Springs, who powered from fifth to first through the final quarter and hit the wire in a track record 2:02.1. Ringing up the fastest last quarter of the Grassroots contestants, Henry and the Striking Sahbra son reeled in Canadian Frontier and pacesetter Kangamangus to score the quarter length victory.

The mile ripped almost two full seconds off the 2:04 record Wayne Henry piloted Starsel to in 2005.

Shelley Henry of Arthur owns Striker Springs, who made two starts at the Gold Series level before dropping down to the Grassroots for the Aug. 21 event at Georgian Downs; where he picked up his first win with another 2:02.1 effort. A $4,000 US bargain at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale, the gelding now boasts a record of two wins, one second and one third in seven starts for earnings of $27,895.

One race earlier Wayne Henry and Smedshammer also broke Starsel’s record with a gate-to-wire romp in 2:02.4. Abe Linkin finished one and one-quarter lengths back in second, while Ballykeel Mike, owned by Ballykeel Racing of Tillsonburg, was nine and a half lengths back in third.

Smedshammer also kicked off his season at the Gold Series level, but dropped down to the Grassroots program two weeks earlier than his stablemate, finishing third in the Aug. 5 event at Flamboro Downs. A late break left the Angus Hall son out of the action at Georgian Downs, so Saturday’s triumph was a welcome boost to his point tally, moving him from twenty-sixth in the Grassroots standings to ninth.

A $25,000 acquisition at the Forest City Yearling Sale, Smedshammer is owned by the Henry Stable of Arthur and Daniel McCann of Parkhill.

After watching his brother show off in the first two Grassroots divisions, Trevor Henry made his first appearance of the afternoon in Race 5 ad cruised around the Woodstock oval to a four and one-quarter length triumph with White Hot. The Berndt Hanover half-brother to $1.6 million winner Abbey Road C stopped the teletimer in 2:03.3, leaving Dandy Duke and fan favourite Jack Man, owned by Wayne Langille of Harley and Arthur Quintanilha of Millgrove, to settle for second and third.

The Henry Stable shares ownership of the gelding with Shawn Dixon of London. Through six starts White Hot has accumulated one Grassroots win, and runner-up finishes in the Flamboro Breeders Stakes, a July 16 Gold Elimination at Grand River Raceway, and the Aug. 21 Grassroots event at Georgian Downs. A $13,000 yearling, White Hot has already earned his owners $30,678.

The younger Henry wrapped up the Grassroots program with his second win, and the fourth for the stable, steering Norwell Incredable to a gate-to-wire score in 2:05.3. Summerhill Charles, owned by Wayne Langille of Harley and Lois and Harley Allison of Hamilton, finished second and fan favourite Monroe Eden was third.

Breeder Agri Lea Farms Ltd. of Moorefield and the Henry Stable own Norwell Incredable, who jumped to the top of the division standings with his second Grassroots win. The chestnut son of Mr Lavec captured a July 22 division at Dresden Raceway and finished second at Georgian Downs for a total of 125 points.

Wayne Henry trainees Norwell Incredable, Maples Lucky Boy and Striker Springs now occupy the top three spots in the two-year-old trotting colt point race.

The other two Grassroots divisions went to Rumorsliesnalibies in 2:05.2 and Ernest V in 2:05.3. The freshman trotting colts make their second last Grassroots start on Sept. 27 at Kawartha Downs, while Woodstock Raceway hosts its last Ontario Sires Stakes event on Saturday, Sept. 15 when the three-year-old trotting fillies bring their Grassroots rivalry to the half-mile oval.

For complete results please go to:

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