GLOUCESTER, ON — Driver Stephen Byron engineered a pair of sharp miles at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening to land three-year-old trotting colts Agusto and Yoho Kadabra in the Grassroots winner’s circle.
Both colts had the advantageous Post 1, and Byron wasted no time demonstrating who was in control of Sunday’s game. With Agusto in Race 4, the Thornton resident rolled through fractions of :29, :59.4 and 1:29.1 before reaching the finish five and a half lengths on top in 1:59.3. Seven races later the reinsman and Yoho Kadabra delivered fractions of :29, :59, and 1:27.4 on their way to a four and a half length win in 1:58.2.
Mannerheim and Striking Fury closed well from the back to finish second to fan favourite Agusto, who is trained by Peterborough resident John Bax. Through 11 starts this season Agusto has logged three wins, two seconds and one third, banking $27,010 for owners Bob Anderson of St. Thomas, and Gwendolyn and Ronald Bowman of Nobel. Sunday’s outing marked the Angus Hall son’s first appearance in the Grassroots program. The young trotter kicked off the season in the Gold Series division, where he finished sixth in his elimination at Mohawk Racetrack on May 17.
H S Blaze converted a pocket trip behind Yoho Kadabra into a second-place cheque in Race 11, while Pembrook Street rounded out the top three. Emma Frieze trains Yoho Kadabra for Fintec Stables of Hamilton, and has harnessed the Kadabra son 12 times this season, resulting in two wins, two seconds and two thirds for earnings of $31,774. In his only other Grassroots outing, June 12 at Western Fair Raceway, the gelding made an early error that caused him to finish out of the money.
Sizeable margins of victory were the norm at Rideau Carleton on Sunday evening, as all five Grassroots winner reached the finish more than two lengths ahead of their peers. P L Cooper and driver Dan Clements started the trend in the first $24,000 division, touring the five-eighths oval in 2:00.2, three and a half lengths ahead of Oaklea Rico and Anahar Buster. Marty Fine trains Mr Lavec son P L Cooper for Prince Lee Acres of Uxbridge.
In the third Grassroots division, Dr Cal and driver Doug McNair swept by pacesetter Bacio Hanover in the stretch and sprinted away to a three length triumph in 2:01.1. Bacio Hanover had to settle for second, with last year’s Grassroots Champion Lukas Rossi rounding out the top three. Windsor resident Bob McIntosh trains Dr Cal and shares ownership and breeding credit on the Angus Hall colt with Angie Stiller of Arva and C S X Stables of Liberty Center, OH.
Brad Rae used the same tactics as McNair in the eighth race, stalking pacesetter Striking Ty through fractions of :28.3, :59.3 and 1:30.2 before sending Overdraft powering down the stretch to claim a two length win in 2:01.4. Striking Ty settled for second, two lengths ahead of third-place finisher Now You See Him. Another son of Angus Hall, Overdraft is trained by Eric Adams for Millar Farms of Newmarket and Glengate Farms of Campbellville.
The three-year-old trotting colts will continue their Grassroots campaign on Aug. 12 at Sudbury Downs, while Rideau Carleton Raceway fans prepare for the arrival of the talented three-year-old pacing fillies on Aug. 6, making their third Grassroots start of the season.
For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0712ridcfn.dat.