SUDBURY, ON — Abbey Road C continued his march through the Ontario Sires Stakes program with a record shattering 1:58.3 performance at Sudbury Downs on Saturday evening.
The three-year-old trotting colt and trainer-driver Keith Jones left from Post 7 in the fifth race and blasted three-wide down the backstretch to take command of the race. From there the reigning Gold Final champions simply toyed with the field of Grassroots colts, increasing their lead to five lengths by the time they hit the wire in track record time. The 1:58.3 score took two full seconds off the former three-year-old trotting colt record at the northern oval and set a new all age standard.
Dave Wall and Oaklea Kramer and George Zirnis and Carrland Buddy duked it for the second and third-place finisher’s shares of the $30,990 purse.
George Charlton of Utopia owns Abbey Road C, who has only been bested once since Jones added trotting hopples to his equipment card on July 6. Saturday’s win improves the gelding’s 2002 record to six wins and one second in 11 outings for earnings of $159,770.
Zirnis had a profitable trip to the province’s northernmost oval. In addition to the third-place finish with Carrland Buddy, the Elmira resident piloted Total Mayhem to a third-place finish in the first division and captured the final split with Royal King Pin.
Royal Strength son Royal King Pin led from Post 5 to the wire, clocking fractions of :30, 1:00.2 and 1:30 en route to the 2:01.1 score. Favourite Armbro Warrior finished two lengths back in second with Tignish another two lengths back in third.
The Smart Cat Stable of Elmira owns Royal King Pin, who seems to have found his footing in the Grassroots program with two wins, one second and one fourth in four starts for a total of 133 points.
Zirnis and Total Mayhem overcame an early break to score their third-place finish in the first division. The duo crossed the wire four lengths back of winner St Patrick Gold, who stopped the clock at 2:02.3. Movin Royal picked up the second-place finisher’s share.
Paul Mackenzie trains and drives St Patricks Gold for S S G Stable of North Boston, NY. The win moved the Brisco Hanover son into third-place in the division standings behind Armbro Warrior and J Ls Sunny Boy.
The three-year-old trotting colts make their last Grassroots start at Clinton Raceway on Sept. 22 and then enjoy a month-long break in Ontario Sires Stakes action before the post season Semifinal on Oct. 27 at Windsor Raceway.
Sudbury Downs hosts one more Ontario Sires Stakes event, welcoming the two-year-old trotting fillies for their fifth Grassroots competition on Friday, Oct. 11.