INNISFIL, ON — Brad Forward and Bob McIntosh, the leading driver and trainer in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, teamed up for a pair of Grassroots victories at Georgian Downs on Tuesday evening.
In the second of six $24,000 Grassroots events, Forward and three-year-old trotting colt Berndt Energy got away fourth from Post 3 and sat in the middle of the pack though the :27.2 opening quarter and :57 half. Heading for the 1:27 three-quarters Forward sent Berndt Energy up the outside and the gelding made steady progress toward pacesetter Bacio Hanover.
By the top of the stretch Berndt Energy was ahead by one length and the Berndt Hanover son extended that by half a length before cruising under the wire in 1:58. Lightly rated Maldeen finished second, with King Gus rounding out the top three.
Windsor resident McIntosh bred and owns Berndt Energy with C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH, and has conditioned the trotter to a record of six wins, two seconds and two thirds in 15 sophomore starts. Tuesday’s victory was the gelding’s second in Grassroots action and boosts his point tally to 138, with one regular season event remaining on the schedule.
Forward and McIntosh wrapped up the Grassroots program with a second victory when Panz Kafka powered under the wire three-quarter lengths the best in 1:57.1. Fan favourite Burnt Stew pressed the pace from the halfway marker to the finish, but had to settle for second, while Vincenne was four and a half lengths back in third.
Bred and owned by Peter Pan Stables of Pepper Pike, OH, Panz Kafka has accumulated four wins and two seconds in 11 starts this season. In just two Grassroots outings the Angus Hall son has one win and one third for a total of 62 points, and will be looking to pad that with a strong finish in the regular season finale at Flamboro Downs on Oct. 8.
The sophomore trotting colts are vying for one of 16 spots in the Grassroots Semifinal at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Oct. 25, from which the top eight finishers advance to the $100,000 Grassroots Championship.
Last year’s champion, Lukas Rossi, picked up his second straight Grassroots victory at Georgian Downs on Tuesday, sprinting around the five-eighths mile oval to a personal best 1:57.1. Regular reinsman Randy Fritz engineered the victory, which saw the Roadshow Hall son hit the wire one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Dashing Earl, with third-place finisher Play Right 13 lengths behind the leaders.
Cambridge resident Ron O’Neill trains Lukas Rossi for his partners P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc. of Cambridge and Nancy Stephens of Woodstock. Through 12 starts the gelding has a record of three wins, one second and two thirds for earnings of $54,930. With two wins and one third in Grassroots action, Lukas Rossi currently has 112 points.
The other Grassroots divisions were captured by J Cs Magic Man in 1:58.2; Make A Promise in 1:57.3; and Driftwood in 1:57.3.
The three-year-old trotting colts make their final regular season start at Flamboro Downs on Oct. 8, while Georgian Downs hosts the final event for the three-year-old trotting fillies on Friday, Oct. 16.
For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0922geodfn.dat.