DUNDAS, ON — Ranked fifth and sixth heading into Friday’s regular season finale at Flamboro Downs, two-year-old pacing colts Who Doesnt and Franceschetti are just a handful of the Grassroots contenders Wayne Giles hopes to be watching in the Semifinal round.

“We have a few that are in and a couple on the cusp, so hopefully we’ll show up with something,” says the Burlington resident, who operates R A W Equine Inc. with his son Robert Giles of Milton. “Like the saying, it’s not how many fights you win, it’s how many you show up for.”

Giles will have a choice of events to show up for on Friday, as two-year-old trotting colt House Money wraps up his Grassroots season at Ottawa’s Rideau Carleton Raceway at the same time that Franceschetti and Who Doesnt wrap things up in Dundas.

“I’ll be at one track or the other,” says Giles, who will also look to catch two-year-old trotting filly Northern Senorita in action at Georgian Downs on Tuesday, and three-year-old trotting colts Idle Time and Vesa T at Grand River Raceway on Wednesday.

First off the gate for R A W Equine at Flamboro on Friday is Franceschetti, who will make his bid for a second straight Grassroots victory from Post 6 in the fourth race. Franceschetti captured his Sept. 15 division at Dresden Raceway in a personal best 1:58.2, boosting his point total to 116 through five Grassroots appearances.

Mark Horner conditions Franceschetti for his partner in the Sure Gain Stable, Charles Dolmage of Mitchell, and Raw Equine Inc., and Michael Horner pilots the son of Mach Three and Puttingontheglitz. The pair faces a tough crowd on Friday including number four ranked Huxley at Post 2, Kawartha Downs track record holder Tye Seelster at Post 5, and seventh ranked Red Carpet Dude at Post 9.

Who Doesnt makes his bid for a second Grassroots trophy from Post 9 in the eighth race. Phil Hudon will steer the Mach Three gelding for his father, trainer Joe Hudon of Acton, R A W Equine, and Robert Rubin of Bloomfield Hills, MI.

“We thought he’d be better,” says Giles of the $40,000 yearling purchase. “But he’s still a pretty decent animal.”

Through five Grassroots appearances Who Doesnt has tallied 120 points from one win, two seconds, one third and one fourth. The youngster heads into Friday’s outing off a runner-up showing at Dresden behind undefeated division leader R Gauwitz Hanover. On Friday Who Doesnt faces an equally daunting opponent in number two colt True To Mach, who will start from Post 7 in the eighth race. Also in the field is former Gold Series competitor Fenian Hanover, who gets Post 4.

With their current point totals, neither Who Doest nor Franceschetti needs a top three finish in order to advance to the Semifinal round, but Giles would like to see both colts deliver a solid outing heading into the post season.

“They’re both fairly decent colts. They’re fairly consistent,” says the long time owner, who purchased his first Standardbred with his father in 1969. “I hope they’ll prove they’ll be worth hanging onto.”

The talented two-year-old pacing colts will open Flamboro Downs’ Friday evening program at 6 pm, and continue to show off their skills in Races 2, 3, 4, 8 and 11.

Flamboro Downs fans will once again have an opportunity to enter the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) program’s Win The Thrill contest. By simply entering a ballot in the box assigned to the horse they believe will capture the designated Win The Thrill race, fans can earn Flamboro Downs betting vouchers and prizes, and qualify for the Oct. 1 Grand Prize draw for a share in the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association’s (SBOA) New Owner Mentoring Program.

Long time owner Brian Webster of St. George Brant and trainer Tony O’Sullivan of Cambridge will guide the Grand Prize winner and eight other members of the SBOA New Owner Group through the purchase and ownership of an Ontario-sired yearling in hopes of competing in the 2012-2013 OSS program.

More information about the Win The Thrill contest and the SBOA New Owner Mentoring program is available at www.ontariosiresstakes.com and www.standardbredbreeders.com. Ballots and details are available in the official Flamboro Downs program.

To view Who Doesnt’s previous Grassroots starts please go to: Who Doesnt

To view Franceschetti’s previous Grassroots starts please go to: Franceschetti

For complete entries please go to: Flamboro Downs Entries — Sept. 16, 2011