SUDBURY, ON — Sudbury Downs wraps up its 2007 Ontario Sires Stakes schedule this Saturday with a visit from the exciting two-year-old pacing colts.

Kerrs Light heads into the first $35,447 Grassroots division off a trio of strong starts in the provincial program and trainer Daryl Roberts is hoping the Astreos son can make it four.

“He’s starting to come around,” notes Roberts, who shares ownership on the colt with his brother-in-law Mark Kerr of London. “He raced pretty good in the start at Hanover (Aug. 18), he was second at Grand River (Sept. 17), and in between he won in 1:55.4 at Sarnia (Sept. 8).”

Roberts liked the colt through his early education, but was disappointed with the way Kerrs Light started the season. After qualifying in June, Kerrs Light made four starts where he failed to finish better than fifth and seemed to run out of gas mid-way through the race. In hindsight Roberts wonders if the colt’s lacklustre early season performance was caused by a reaction to a vaccine he received just before qualifying.

“I really, really liked him in the spring,” recalls the London resident. “But I raced him a couple of times, I just drove him myself, and turning for home you’d have lots of horse, but he wouldn’t have any energy in the stretch. I gave him a flu and rhino shot and I don’t know if that set him back or what it was.”

Things started to turn around for the colt in the Aug. 18 Grassroots event at Hanover Raceway, where he finished third, and continued to improve through an Aug. 26 overnight at Clinton Raceway where he finished second and posted a sub-30 second last quarter for the first time. Back in the Grassroots on Sept. 8 at Hiawatha Horse Park Kerrs Light found the winner’s circle, laying down an impressive 1:55.4 come from behind victory that saw him pace home in :28.3.

Kerrs Light heads into Saturday’s contest off a runner-up finish in the Sept. 17 Grassroots event at Grand River Raceway, and currently sits tied for sixth in the division standings with 87 points.

“He seems to have got racy and he’s coming around good,” says Roberts. “His last quarters weren’t really sporty, but now he’s kicked it in.”

Kerrs Light will start from Post 6 in the fourth race, and while Roberts expects the competition to be more intense with only three divisions, he figures the colt will be able to hold his own.

“He’s got the six-hole, and there’s only three divisions, so it will be tough, but right now my guy is at the top of his game,” says the trainer. “As long as he gets a good trip, he should be right there.”

Roberts and Kerr purchased the colt from last fall’s Canadian Open Yearling Sale for $11,500, and quickly decided the name A C Pursesnatcher had to go. Kerr works for Molson Canada, and the pacer is his first foray into Standardbred ownership, so Kerrs Light seemed like the perfect choice.

“It’s worked out nice,” says Roberts. “He (Kerr) got some hats and T-shirts made up that say �Kerr’s Light Racing Stable’, so he’s been sporting them around a bit.

“They’re going up to Sudbury too,” he adds. “So it should be a nice trip.”

The partners would love to see the colt deliver another strong start at Sudbury Downs on Saturday, boosting his chances to lock up a spot in the Oct. 20 Grassroots Semifinal. The pacer will tackle a talent laden field of eight that includes the number three colt in the standings, Lyons Geoff, from Post 2, and the fastest division winner from the Sept. 17 event, Woodmere Astroid, from Post 9.

Post time at Sudbury Downs on Saturday is 7:15 pm, with the two-year-old pacing colts squaring off in the fourth, seventh and ninth races.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/esudbysa.html