BELLEVILLE, SEPT. 9, 2005 — Ross Battin piloted two-year-old trotting colt The Orient Express to the fastest win in five Grassroots divisions at Quinte Exhibition Raceway on Friday night.
Leaving from Post 5 the pair got away fourth, but were moving up the outside before the field reached the halfway marker. Second by a length and a half at the three-quarters, The Orient Express pressured leader Gripit N Ripit relentlessly around the final turn and then out trotted pocket sitter The Prowler down the stretch to claim the head decision in 2:04.2. The Prowler earned the runner-up’s share of the $19,442 Grassroots purse, while Gripit N Ripit settled for third.
Peter Clements trains The Orient Express for owner-breeder Elwood Irwin of Guelph. The win marked the Royal Ballad son’s fourth straight victory, his only miss coming in the July 14 Grassroots season opener when an early break in stride resulted in a fifth-place finish. Friday’s win propelled The Orient Express into second-place in the freshman trotting colt division standings, surpassed only by his stablemate Potential Renegade, who posted his sixth straight victory in Race 8.
As he has in most of his winning efforts, Potential Renegade went straight to the front from Post 4 and loafed through fractions of :32.3, 1:04.4 and 1:36.3 before charging home to a 13 length victory. Sno N Again finished third, but was placed ahead to second when Laurent made a late break in the stretch and was moved from second back to third by the Quinte Exhibition Raceway judges.
Battin engineered the 2:07.1 score for trainer Clements and his daughter Amy Clements of Dobbinton. Potential Renegade, the son of CR Renegade and Clements’s mare Valuation, has been unstoppable since making his debut in a non-winners event at Hanover Raceway on July 6. His two-year-old trotting colt peers have not been able to get within two lengths of the colt at the wire, and he sits in top spot in the division standings with a perfect 250 points.
Battin was on a roll on Friday evening, completing the driving hat trick with a win aboard Bill Van Katwyk trainee Jimmy Hill. In spite of starting from Post 6, Battin sent Jimmy Hill straight to the front and the Royal Ballad son reeled off a 2:05.1 victory, fending off Papa’s Royal Gogo down the stretch.
Peterborough resident Van Katwyk bred and owns Jimmy Hill, who moved into the top 16 point earners with the win. After a second and a fifth in his first Grassroots outings, Van Katwyk moved the young trotter up to the Gold Series level for the August event at Rideau Carleton Raceway and Jimmy Hill delivered an impressive third-place performance in spite of making a break in the elimination round and then finished out of the money in the final.
Starsel and Su Lavec defended their positions in the top 16 with victories in the other two Grassroots divisions Friday. Su Lavec and trainer-driver Normand Dessureault overcame Post 7 in the first split to post a half length win over Deputy Dylan and Aforgottendynasty. The Mr Lavec son stopped the teletimer at 2:06 for McGregor resident Dessureault and his partner Daniel Durfy of Ypsilanti, MI.
Wayne Henry piloted Starsel to his third Grassroots victory for his partners in the Henry Stable of Arthur and Alan Bodin of Rockwood. The Angus Hall son led from start to finish in the 2:05.2 mile, finishing one and three-quarter lengths ahead of Sharpshootennorris and Jazz Valley. Ross Henry trains the colt, who currently sits fourth on the leader board.
Ontario’s talented two-year-old trotting colts wrap up their regular season Grassroots schedule Oct. 1 at Georgian Downs.
Friday’s contest wraps up Quinte Exhibition Raceway’s 2005 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which saw outstanding performances from the three-year-old trotting colts and pacing colts and the two-year-old pacing fillies and trotting colts. Ontario Sires Stakes excitement will return to the Belleville oval in 2006 with a fresh crop of talented young trotters and pacers.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rblvlfr.html