AUGUST 11, 2015 � Hall of Fame driver Steve Condren proved again Tuesday night at Mohawk Racetrack why he’s a popular choice to drive young horses. The Milton, ON resident drove two of the six division winners in the $18,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots event for two-year-old trotting colts, including Georgies Pockets in race one. The victory propelled Georgies Pocket to the top of the divisional standings.
Condren’s other winner, Thee Desperado in race five, made a huge recovery from a break near the quarter pole to win by three-quarters of a length to remain undefeated in three lifetime starts for trainer Brent Belore of Embro, ON.
Thee Desperado, a gelded son of Manofmanymissions out of Front Porch Swing that was a $15,000 Forest City Yearling Sale purchase last October, is owned by Karen and Daniel Macintyre of London, ON, Joshua McKibbin of Tillsonburg, ON and Nancy Newport of Ingersoll, ON.
The gelding got away third, but broke stride briefly coming out of the first turn at the Campbellville track. Once back trotting, he tracked cover around the final turn before coming home in :28.2 to defeat JLS Bad Moon Risin. Innovative Force was third. The mile was 2:00.2.
Thee Desperado has now earned $27,000 lifetime and sits second in the division with 150 points behind Condren’s other winner, Georgies Pockets (175). The homebred son of Muscle Mass out of Striking Pockets trained by Mel Turcotte for M T Pockets Stables of Pompano Beach, FL, has won three of four starts, all in Grassroots competition for career earnings of $31,500.
Tuesday night, Condren got away fourth with Georgies Pockets as Warrawee Rob cut the mile through fractions of :28 and :58.3. Condren came first over with his colt heading into the final turn and battled with Warrawee Rob through the three-quarter pole, reached in 1:28.4. Georgies Pockets came home in :29.1 to win by a head over Muscles For Life in 1:58, which tied for the fastest Grassroots performance of the night. Recreate was third.
The two victories helped Condren leap into the top 10 in the Lampman Cup standings ranking the best OSS drivers. The 58-year-old has won 6,775 races and more than $113 million in his career.
Guelph resident Paul MacDonell piloted Tough Get Going to a 2:00 victory in the second division from post nine. Gonna Fly was second by two-and-three-quarter lengths. Dynamic Edge was third. Tough Get Going is a homebred gelded son of Kadabra out of One Tough Lass owned by Mel Hartmann of Ottawa, Florida resident David McDuffee and Herb Liverman, formerly of Toronto and now living in Florida. The trio also Ontario-sired superstar trotting mare Bee A Magician trainer by Richard �Nifty’ Norman, the man who also trains Tough Get Going.
In race three, trainer Rick Zeron of Oakville, Ont., drove Money Mission to his second straight Grassroots score when he guided the son of Manofmanymissions—Kimberly Coe to a 2:00.1 victory that was one-and-a-half lengths better than Asterix. Manofmanyimages was third. Sent off as the even-money favourite, Money Mission increased his bankroll to $23,400 and his record to 2-1-0 in five starts for owners Zeron, Cool Cat Racing Inc. of Bryn Mawr, PA and Paul Marion of Marionville, ON.
Trainer/driver Curtis Clements pulled off a 24-1 upset in the fifth Grassroots test of the night when P C Foreign Affair defeated heavy favorite The Land Shark by two lengths in 1:58. Curtis and Amy Clements of Dobbinton, ON share ownership on the homebred son of Cornaro Dasolo—Promising Spark who won for the first time in three starts. P C Foreign Affair has earned $11,160 to date.
Lampman Cup-leading driver Sylvain Filion drove Classical Son to victory in the final Grassroots division of the night. The son of Majestic Son out of Classical Strike edged race favourite Frankly Speaking by a neck in 2:00. First-time started Weight Time was third. Stephane Larocque trains Classical Son for Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D’Argent, QC, Brian Paquet of Quebec City and the breeder, Winbak Farm of Chesapeake, MD.