DUNDAS, ON — After stepping up to tackle the top colts in the province last month, Amillionpennies returns to Grassroots action at Flamboro Downs this Friday, Aug. 1 in search of a few more pennies to add to an already successful season.

The three-year-old pacing colt was second in the Grassroots season opener at Grand River Raceway in May, then made the leap up to the Gold Series in June where he finished third in his elimination and fifth in the Gold Final. Owner Lois Gray considered taking another run at the province’s best, but the news that North America Cup champion Somebeachsomewhere was heading back to Ontario for the Aug. 3 Gold Elimination convinced her Amillionpennies would be better off with his Grassroots peers.

“I would have liked to have kept him in the Gold, but with that other horse going so fast it’s kind of senseless really,” says the horsewoman, who raised Amillionpennies on her Caledonia farm. “He’ll be a little more domineering in there (Grassroots) I think.”

Amillionpennies and driver Anthony Haughan will be aided in their quest for more Grassroots points by an advantageous post position draw. The pair will line up at Post 1 in the second $20,000 Grassroots division.

The son of Million Dollar Cam and Gimme A Penny heads into Friday’s skirmish off a July 20 overnight that saw him make an uncharacteristic break in the final turn. On the advice of Haughan, Gray and her partner Neil Spencer made a veterinary appointment for their young pacer, and hope the trip to Dr. Dan McMaster’s clinic has the colt back in top form for his return to Grassroots action.

“He had a couple of little splints I didn’t know about,” explains Gray. “Anthony Haughan said he was bearing in a bit, so I thought I’d better get on top of it immediately.

“Dr. McMaster went all over him and that’s all he found. We had them fixed up and he’s raring to go.”

Gray acquired Gimme A Penny at a fall mixed sale in 2004 for a mere $1,200, and Amillionpennies was born the following spring. The colt has turned out to be worth far more than the name Gray bestowed upon him, earning a total of $76,420 since the start of his racing career late last fall. This season the pacer has accumulated seven wins, three seconds and two thirds in 15 starts and delivered a 1:52.1 personal best in a leg of the Ontario Spring Series at Woodbine Racetrack in April. In addition, Gray says the colt is a model citizen in both the barn and the race paddock.

“He’s a beautiful horse to work with. You’d think with him being a stallion he might, but he doesn’t strike or kick, and he’s good in the paddock. He just stands there and minds his own business. I just love him,” says the longtime owner and breeder. “He jogs good and he trains good, and he’s a good eater. Oh gosh he can eat really well, and that, to me, is important.”

While Spencer handles training duties in the paddock, Gray and her sisters will be watching the colt from the grandstand, hoping he can add a few more points to the 25 he earned at Grand River in May. Amillionpennies faces a tough field of colts that includes the division’s point leader Yorktown Heights. Undefeated through his first two Grassroots starts, Yorktown Heights will start from Post 6 in Friday’s second race.

The three-year-old pacing colts will raise the curtain on Friday’s program at 6 pm, and continue to entertain Flamboro Downs fans in Races 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11.

For complete entries please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/eflmdfr.html.