SARNIA, OCT. 22, 2001 — At stables across the province trainers are putting the final work into 64 of the finest racehorses ever bred in Ontario. On Thursday those 64 horses and their owners, trainers and drivers will travel to Hiawatha Horse Park to compete in the Semifinal round of the first ever Grassroots Championship.

The 64 three-year-olds will vie for a total of $160,000 in eight Semifinals, two $20,000 contests for each sex and gait, and a spot in next week’s $400,000 final round. Track records that have already been battered in Ontario Sires Stakes competition this year will be challenged again as the point leaders from the regular season converge at Hiawatha Horse Park for one last battle.

First into the fray are the talented sophomore trotting fillies, with Lady Byng carrying local hopes on behalf of trainer Peter Core and owners Dale Hunter of Petrolia and Richard Hunter of Oil Springs. The Earl daughter finished her regular season with 16 Grassroots points from one win, two seconds and one third-place finish in four starts, missing the last regular season event while Core worked out a few kinks in her gait.

“She trotted so well at Hanover (Aug. 25) and then she didn’t trot well at all in two overnights,” recalls the Wyoming resident. “Something was bothering her, but I think we’ve got it figured out. She qualified real well last week so we’re hoping she’ll do well. She should be able to go the speed, whatever they go, as long as she behaves herself.”

Lady Byng will make her bid for a top four finish from Post 2 in the fifth race, the second of the two trotting filly Semifinals. The trotting lasses also kick off the Grassroots program in Race 3.

When the trotting colts step onto the track in the fourth race, Barry Hearn is hoping At A Boy Adam also behaves himself and delivers the kind of consistent performance that has landed him atop the division standings with 22 points from two wins and four thirds.

“He’s been real steady the last eight or nine starts, so hopefully he can do it a couple more times,” says the St. Pauls Station resident. “He likes to leave a bit so if we can get him spotted, hopefully he stays at his work and gets to the Final.”

Hearn shares ownership on the Earl colt, who will attempt to maintain his top dog status from Post 2, with trainer Bill Wellwood of Cambridge. The other trotting colt Semifinal goes postward as Race 6.

Local horseman Jim Ainsworth will harness a trio of three-year-olds at Hiawatha on Thursday. Stepping out of the barn first is pacing filly Kesons Sonsation, starting from Post 3 in the seventh.

“She has a lot of gate speed and she’s raced a fair bit at Sarnia. If there’s such a thing as home turf advantage this is it for her,” says the Sarnia resident. “She does like this track.”

Ainsworth’s father Larry of Petrolia, Claude Pearson of Tilbury and David Walls of Sarnia own the Dexter Nukes filly, who is entered in a sale between the Semifinal and Final.

Race 8 also features the pacing fillies, while Races 9 and 10 are reserved for the Ontario Sires Stakes program’s marquee division, the three-year-old pacing colts. Division leader His Honor and ninth-place colt Armbro Vagarious both hail from the Ainsworth barn and the three-time winner of the Johnston Cup, awarded to the leading trainer in the Ontario Sires Stakes, believes both youngsters have a legitimate shot at the top prize.

His Honor boasts a record of four wins and two seconds in Grassroots competition and has banked $84,976 for owners Norman Walker of Sarnia, Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga and Steve Calhoun and Michael Lindley of Chatham.

“I said at the beginning of the season that before the year was out he would be a better horse than the other one,” says Ainsworth. “He’s been consistent all year. He’s thrown maybe two bad races and they were both overnight races.

“He seemed real sharp in London (Oct. 19) and he’s not much of a half-mile horse, the big track is definitely going to help him. I think with the right trip he’s definitely as good as any of them.”

Ainsworth’s only concern for the Dexter Nukes colt is his outside post. His Honor and driver Dave Wall will start from Post 8 in the ninth race on Hiawatha’s 7:10 pm program.

Wall will also pilot Armbro Vagarious from Post 4 in Race 10 and Ainsworth is crossing his fingers that the Camluck colts brings out his “A” game for the Semifinals.

“He’s been a bit of a disappointment. He should have been a better horse,” laments the trainer. “I believe he is faster than anything out there, but he doesn’t want to seem to put it all together. He was good at Dresden (Sept. 3) and good at Peterborough (Oct. 6), but then last week at London he had no excuse. If he decides to show up Thursday he should be hard to catch.”

Larry Ainsworth, Ross Holmes of Ilderton, Reg Gassien of Lindsay and William Boden of Vancouver, BC own the Camluck colt, who banked $60,341 in spite of his erratic performance.

Hiawatha Horse Park opens the doors on this historic night of racing at 7:10 pm and the Grassroots Semifinals are featured in Races 3 through 10. The top four finishers from each Semifinal return to Hiawatha on Nov. 1 for their respective $100,000 Grassroots Finals.

FOR MORE CONTACT SANDRA SNYDER AT 519-656-2017 OR smsnyder@sentex.net