Hemi Seelster, a colt from the first crop of Holiday Road, refused to lose in the third of six $18,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions for two-year-old trotting colts tonight at Mohawk Racetrack. Another Seelster Farms-bred colt, Grandprix Seelster, used different tactics to capture his division.
In the third division Benvenuti was first off the gate as the wings folded for trainer Eddie Green and headed the field past the opening marker in :28.2. A few colts made breaks which allowed Benvenuti and pocket sitter Hemi Seelster to stride away from the field but a few had caught up by the :59 half.
At that point Steve Byron pulled Hemi Seelster out and took over the front well before the three-quarters in 1:29.1. Pilgrims Joy came up to challenge and that pair battled gamely down the stretch with a determined Hemi Seelster refusing to lose and hitting the wire first in 1:58.4, the fastest of the six splits. Pilgrims Joy (Pilgrims Taj) had to settle for second this night with Winning Wizard (Kadabra) third.
It was the second straight OSS victory for Hemi Seelster, trained by John Bax of Peterborough, who co-owns with son Matthew Bax and the Goin To The Show Stable, also of Peterborough and John Houston of Cobourg, Ontario.
Hemi’s former stablemate at Seelster Farms, Grandprix Seelster, took his time getting into the race in the fourth division, but when he did he meant business. That race saw At The Disco and Byron first at the quarter in :28.4 and the half in :59.3. At that point Grandprix Seelster was ninth.
Ontheroad De Vie took over command well before the 1:29.3 third panel but as the field trotted down the stretch Randy Waples stick handled Grandprix Seelster through horses to haul down the leader and win in 2:00.2 over Ontheroad De Vie and Federal.
It was the first lifetime start for Grandprix Seelster, a son of Federal Flex owned by Glengate Farms, Campbellville, Goldfinger Stables, Burlington and trainer Pat Hunt of Cambridge, Ontario. He is the 10th foal from $484,000 winner Gramola. A mere $8,000 buy at the Forest City Sale, the colt has already made back his purchase price with just one start.
Tonight’s other divisions were captured by Lexus Magnum (Windsong Espoir) and James MacDonald in 1:59.3 for owner/trainer/breeder Norm Dunstan; Stormont Wizard (Kadabra) and Rick Zeron in 1:59.3 for trainer Kevin Benn and owner/breeder Stormont Meadows; Its Huw You Know (Holiday Road) and trainer/driver Keith Jones in 2:00.3 for owner Doug McCarthy and Pridecrest (Angus Hall) and Roger Mayotte in 2:00.2 for trainer Susie Kerwood and owner/breeder Langcrest Farm.
This group will meet next at Grand River Raceway on July 30 and their Gold counterparts will face off the day before at Mohawk. To view the full results from tonight’s card at Mohawk, please use this link Mohawk Results – July 21.