LONDON, ON — Western Fair Raceway’s Grand Opening Gala on Friday evening features 32 of the most talented two-year-old trotters and pacers in Ontario competing in four $100,000 Grassroots Finals.
The “Evening of Elegance” promises to be memorable both on track and off, and Ronnie MacLean plans to enjoy every moment of it.
“I wasn’t expecting to be standing in the Grassroots Semifinal winner’s circle when I bought him last year,” says the Mount Elgin resident of trotting colt Knockout, who captured his Semifinal last week with a 2:01.3 effort. “He’s the first trotting colt I ever broke; I’ve raced trotters, but I’ve never broke one before. It’s all worked out so well, anything more is a bonus.”
MacLean acquired Knockout one year ago at the Fall Extravaganza Sale for just $5,200. He had buyers in mind for the inexpensive youngster, but when push came to shove both backed out and he wound up keeping two thirds of the Super Pleasure son and selling one-third back to breeder Dale Baker of Glory B Stables Inc. in Vienna.
Since making his debut in a July 2 Gold Elimination at Flamboro Downs the gelding has recorded three wins and one second through 10 starts and earned $42,810 and will take a shot at the Grassroots title from Post 8 in Friday’s seventh race.
“He’s never started out of the trailing position before, but he’s not an aggressive colt on the gate,” says MacLean. “We were kind of hoping for (Post) four or in, but hopefully he’ll be okay and (Dave) Wally can get him spotted.”
Dave Wall will return to the race bike for the $100,00 battle, the first of two appearances he will make on the Grassroots Championship program. The veteran reinsman, called “Mr. OSS” for his longtime commitment to the provincial program, will also steer trotting filly Emerald Tortilla from Post 2 in the eighth race.
Among the fillies Wall will face in the trotting filly division is Hetties Charm, who captured her Semifinal with a 2:04.3 performance from Post 7.
“I was happy with the way she raced last week. How could you not be?” says the filly’s trainer and co-owner John Rier. “We went there with a relaxed horse that was ready to go. I didn’t go to Peterborough (Oct. 18) and my idea was to give her a little break, change her shoes and hope she was ready for the Semifinal.”
The win was Hetties Charm’s third in a consistent season that also saw her post four seconds and one third in 10 starts. The victory also pushed the Angus Hall daughter’s lifetime balance sheet into the black, as her earnings edged $3,917 over the $50,000 the Kitchener resident and his cousin Rick Rier of Hanover anted up at last fall’s Canadian Classic Yearling Sale.
Jim McClure will return to the race bike for Friday’s battle, steering Hetties Charm from Post 5 in the trotting filly Championship, the first of two trips the veteran reinsman will make around the half-mile oval on the Grassroots Championship program. He will also pilot Tristin Seelster from the tough Post 7 in the pacing colt Final for trainer Gregg McNair.
McNair will start a trio of horses on Friday, with Fit For Britt heading out of the barn first in the pacing filly battle. A dominant 1:59.3 victory in her Semifinal and Post 2 on Friday night have combined to make the Fit For Life daughter the solid favourite in the ninth race.
“If she gets the right kind of trip she looks like she’s probably the one to beat in there I think,” says McNair. “I’d like to see everything the same as last week if I could, but they’re going for $100,000 and she’ll probably get roughed up in there somewhere.”
Russell Doyle of Sydney, NS owns Fit For Britt and taught the filly her early lessons before sending her into McNair’s barn in early October. She heads into Friday’s event on a three race win streak, part of a season that saw her score five wins and two seconds in nine starts for earnings of $48,292.
McNair’s other two entries will wrap up the Grassroots Championship evening in the highly anticipated pacing colt final. While Tristin Seelster and Jim McClure start from Post 7, Stonebridge Galaxy and Ray McLean, Jr. will take aim on a second straight victory from Post 4.
The least experienced of the eight pacing colts with just four starts under his belt, Stonebridge Galaxy posted the fastest win of the Semifinal round, logging a 1:57.1 triumph with an impressive front end effort that saw him hit the finish line three lengths up on his more seasoned peers.
“That was his first time on the front last week,” notes McNair. “He’s never even trained much at home on the front end, but he raced pretty good.”
A $52,000 yearling purchase, Stonebridge Galaxy is the son of Apaches Fame and former Sires Stakes competitor One Fine Cam ($252,854). McNair, George Kerr of Gowanston and Linda Cox of Bayfield share ownership on the blue-blooded youngster, who boasts a record of three wins and one second in four starts and earnings of $30,750.
The trainer also shares ownership on Camluck colt Tristin Seelster with Leonard Gamble of Etobicoke and Don MacDonald of Amherstburg.
“I’m not writing Friday off, but he did draw a tough post,” laments McNair. “And the only time he won a race he was right on the front end. He looked like one of the top Grassroots colts that day, but we’ve had a little trouble with him passing horses. I just hope he gets over that for next year.”
Featured as Races 7, 8 9 and 10 on Western Fair Raceway’s 7:30 pm program Friday, Oct. 31, the two-year-old Grassroots Finals are guaranteed to be gritty battles from start to finish, with the winner’s having to earn the title of 2003 Grassroots Champion.