WOODSTOCK, ON — Woodstock Raceway will host three Ontario Sires Stakes events this season and the half-mile oval kicks things off in style this Saturday with ten Grassroots divisions for harness racing’s �boys of summer.’

Eighty of the province’s most talented three-year-old pacing colts will make the trip to Woodstock and trainer Ron O’Neill is hoping that Clean Cut Kid can pick up his second straight Grassroots pay cheque. The Island Fantasy gelding overcame Post 8 and a long trip around the outside to finish fifth in the May 31 season opener at Windsor Raceway.

“He had the eight-hole and had to come first up,” recalls O’Neill, who trains Clean Cut Kid for his partners Lynda Franklin of Ingersoll, James Copeland of Woodstock and Steven Bray of Guelph. “He did a lot of work and got a little bit of money.”

Although Clean Cut Kid and driver Randy Fritz will start from Post 8 again on Saturday, this time they will be in the trailing position rather than on the outside of the starting gate.

“I wish we could have got on the gate,” laments O’Neill, “But we’ll take that (trailing position) instead of way out there.”

If everything were to go the gelding’s way, O’Neill would love to see him close to the action through the early stages of Saturday’s fourth race, where he faces four colts who competed in the Grassroots season opener and three who will make their provincial debut at Woodstock.

“Hopefully he can follow one out that’s leaving. He’s the type of horse that likes to get in the mix of things early,” says the Cambridge resident. “He kind of loses his concentration if he has to come from off the pace. If he gets wound up early he races better, so I’d like to see him up near mid-pack or near the front.”

Among the colts that O’Neill will be watching closely during Saturday’s contest is Albert In The City, who captured a Grassroots division at Windsor last month and will start from Post 5.

“That one Trevor Henry is driving (Albert In The City) won last week, but I’m not sure about the other ones,” notes O’Neill. “We just need some luck.”

Clean Cut Kid heads into Saturday’s battle with a record of two seconds in four starts. The youngster was a regular player in the Grassroots program at two, earning his way into the Championship with one win and two seconds in three provincial starts.

Clean Cut Kid and his three-year-old pacing colt peers will compete for a total of $150,000 in the first through fifth and seventh through eleventh races on Woodstock Raceway’s 1 pm program Saturday.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/ewodsksa.html