DUNDAS, ON — Anahar Chase heads into Friday’s Grassroots finale sitting in seventh spot in the three-year-old trotting colt division standings so drawing Post 7 on the Flamboro Downs half-miler is not causing trainer Michel Rivest to lose any sleep.
With 113 points earned in his first five Grassroots appearances, Anahar Chase should advance to the Grassroots Semifinal without picking up any additional points on Friday. The Oaklea Julian son faces a talent laden field in the first $24,000 division that includes second ranked Krakatoa from Post 6, tenth-ranked Lexis D J from Post 5 and fourteenth ranked Tymal Tyme from Post 4, but Rivest is hoping the trotter can find a way to pick up one last regular season pay cheque.
“He drew a bad position, but it might work out,” says the Lynden, ON resident. “He’s not too good leaving, but he’ll grind �er out.”
Anahar Chase has ground out two wins, one fourth and one fifth in Grassroots action this summer, not bad for a horse that could not find the winner’s circle as a two-year-old.
“He was immature as a two-year-old,” Rivest explains. “He trained down good last winter. He was a little slow starting, but then he caught on.
“He’s been racing good this year,” adds the trainer.
In 16 sophomore starts Anahar Chase has accumulated a total of four wins, two seconds and three thirds for earnings of $68,054. In addition to his Grassroots trophies, the gelding captured his Dream Of Glory Elimination at Hanover Raceway on July 24 and then finished second to Krakatoa in the $100,000 final one week later.
Rivest shares ownership on the consistent youngster with Denis Rivest of Palgrave, ON and Gary Silliphant of Simcoe, ON, and the trainer says the partners plan to race Anahar Chase for as long as possible.
“He’s not for sale. We’ll race him for as long as we can,” says the horseman. “He’s a nice little horse, just a pet.”
Robert Jenkins Jr. will steer Anahar Chase on Friday, subbing for the vacationing Stuart Sowerby. Jenkins was Anahar Chase’s regular reinsman last season, steering the gelding to a pair of third-place finishes and one fifth in four Grassroots starts, and in preparation for Friday’s test the Cambridge, ON resident schooled Anahar Chase last Friday, Oct. 1.
“He’s pretty flexible, he’ll race from anywhere,” notes Rivest of the gelding’s racing style. “He likes the smaller track.”
That preference should serve Anahar Chase well in the Oct. 16 Grassroots Semifinals, where he will meet seven other colts from among the top 16 point earners. The first four finishers from each $30,000 Semifinal will earn a return invitation to Western Fair Raceway for the Oct. 23 Grassroots Championship, worth $100,000.
The three-year-old trotting colts will wage their last regular season Grassroots battle in Races 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 on Friday evening, with Flamboro Downs sending the first race into the starter’s hands at 6 pm.
To watch Anahar Chase’s previous Grassroots starts click: Anahar Chase
For complete entries click: Flamboro Downs Entries — Oct. 8, 2010