HANOVER, ON — Corona Grande extended his Ontario Sires Stakes win streak to 10 at Hanover Raceway on Saturday night. The Camluck colt posted the quickest mile of 10 Grassroots divisions to extend his streak and maintain a share of the lead atop the division point standings.
Leaving from Post 4 in the fifth race driver Greg Wright, Jr. sent the colt after the lead just past the quarter mile marker and then set the cruise control, sailing under the wire in 1:56.1, two and one-quarter lengths ahead of McMac. Morocco was another two lengths back in third.
Trainer Jack Darling of Windsor and Dan Smith of Dorchester share ownership of Corona Grande, who has banked just over $120,000 in two successful seasons on the Ontario Sires Stakes circuit. The colt capped his undefeated freshman season with a win in the Grassroots Championship and, with four events remaining on his sophomore calendar, looks poised to repeat in 2002.
Wright made a second appearance in the Hanover Raceway winner’s circle with Needmore Moose in the sixth race. After suffering interference leaving the starting gate Wright and the Beastmaster colt sat seventh through most of the mile and then unleashed a tremendous finishing kick to circle the pack and post the one length 1:58.2 victory.
John Williamson of Cayuga owns and trains Needmore Moose, who jumped into the Grassroots point race with his first win of the season.
Run Tim Run and Machthree Dream picked up the second and third-place cheques. Local favourite Voices Carry, owned by trainer Clarence Beitz of Mildmay, finished fourth in his Ontario Sires Stakes debut after leading the field through the final turn.
William “Bud” Fritz of Walkerton, who will enter the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame this summer, posted a 1:56.2 victory with Gourmet Beast in the first division. Fritz sent the Beastmaster colt to the front from Post 1 and never had to glance back, rocketing home to the four length victory over Whispers Spy and Harold My Boy.
The other divisions went to Zacs Rocker in 1:56.4, Sing To Me in 1:57.3, Rudy Cruz in 1:57.3, Big Louie in 1:57, Pacific Pegasus in 1:56.4, Josh The Prince in 1:57.2 and Rye N Water in 1:58.
The three-year-old pacing colts make their next Grassroots start at Georgian Downs on Aug. 6 while Hanover Raceway welcomes their two-year-old counterparts on July 13.