LONDON, ON — Jason Brewer scored a Grassroots double at Western Fair Raceway on Saturday evening, piloting three-year-old pacing colts My Gift To You and Lexis Star to victory in the first two $24,000 divisions.
In the opening race of the evening, Brewer and My Gift To You led the field from start to finish, posting fractions of :29.2, 1:00.3, and 1:29.3 on their way to a 1:58.3 score. Tommy Tiger was one and one-quarter lengths back in second, with Allamerican Extra three lengths to the rear in third.
Brewer engineered the victory for trainer Jeff Gillis and owner Mark Ford of Slate Hill, NY. Through 35 starts this season My Gift To You has accumulated 12 wins, seven seconds and six thirds for earnings of $195,132. The colt heads into the Oct. 25 Grassroots Semifinal at Rideau Carleton Raceway tied for fifth in the standings with 150 points and a perfect record of three wins in three Grassroots starts.
Puslinch resident Brewer made his second appearance in the London winner’s circle following a similar tour around the half-mile oval. Lexis Star logged a :28.1 opening quarter, a :58.4 half, and a 1:27.3 three-quarters before reaching the wire one and a half lengths ahead of his peers in 1:57.1. Fan favourite Go West Lucky Cam held off Enlightened Cam to finish second.
Saturday’s victory was the seventh this season for Lexis Star, who is trained by Campbellville resident Fred Hoffman for his partners Stephen Malach of North York, and William Cripps of Acton. The D M Dilinger son moved into seventh spot in the division standings with the win, heading to Ottawa with a total of 138 points from two wins, one second, one fourth and one fifth in six Grassroots starts.
The third division followed the pattern established in the first two, with driver Kevin Wallis putting Shortstacked on the front with a :27.4 opening quarter and then cruising to a :58.3 half and a 1:27.3 three-quarters before claiming the 1:56 victory. Division point leader Alexie Mattosie overcame early interference to finish second, with The Ladies Man in third.
Ron O’Neill trains Shortstacked for Ervin Miller Stable Inc. of Springfield, IL, Omer Miller of Humboldt, IL and Nelson Herschberger of Tuscola, IL. Through 14 starts this season the Astreos colt has three wins, three seconds and two thirds for earnings of $58,490. Shortstacked finished the regular season in fourth with 154 points.
The only colt to deviate from the front-end model was Blended Whiskey, who clocked the sharpest time of the five Grassroots divisions. Starting from Post 4, driver Robert Shepherd dropped Blended Whiskey onto the rail in fourth as Montanez claimed the front end with a :28.1 opening quarter. As Montanez led the field to the :58.2 half, Shepherd sent Blended Whiskey to the outside, where they followed Layton Seelster to the 1:27.2 three-quarters before swooping out three-wide and sprinting down the stretch to a 1:55.4 victory.
Pacesetter Montanez finished three and three-quarter lengths to the rear and Layton Seelster rounded out the top three.
Rambaran son Blended Whiskey has earned seven wins, four seconds and two thirds this season for trainer Travis Umphrey and owner Terry Hamilton of Lethbridge, AB. The gelding finished in a three-way tie for eighth in the standings with 125 points.
Ninth race winner Great Luck will have to cross his fingers that a couple of colts ahead of him in the standings opt out of the Grassroots Semifinal, as the pacer’s leap up from forty-fifth in the standings landed him just shy of the top 16 in twentieth spot.
Doug McNair engineered the effortless front end victory for Great Luck, sailing through fractions of :27.1, :58.3 and 1:29.3 before reaching the wire two and three-quarter lengths the best in 1:58.2. Stand By Cam was second and Roberto closed well to be third.
Granton resident Don Beatson trains and shares ownership on Great Luck with Kenneth Beatson of Toronto and Sandra and Ralph Pitt of Cargill. Saturday’s win was the E Dees Cam son’s second of the season through 20 starts and boosted his earnings to $46,089.
The top 16 point earners from the six regular season events will now rest up for their Oct. 25 Grassroots Semifinal. The top four finishers from each Semifinal will advance to the $100,000 Grassroots Championship at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Also highlighted on Western Fair’s Saturday evening program was the $189,000 Forest City Pace Final for aged pacing mares, which went to former Grassroots Champion Southwind Madonna and Lyle MacArthur in 1:55.1.
Ontario Sires Stakes action continues at Western Fair Raceway on Friday, Oct. 30 with Gold Elimination action for the talented two-year-old pacing colts.
For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r1017lonn.dat.