LONDON, ON — Three-year-old trotting colt Grogan delivered a stand out performance at Western Fair Raceway on Tuesday afternoon, navigating the sloppy surface of his local oval in a smart 2:00.

Trainer Lorne House piloted Grogan to the victory, which saw the pair go straight to the front from Post 1 and then draw away from the competition with each step to hit the wire 11 and one-quarter lengths on top. Muchacho Grande and Kens On Lavec delivered solid efforts up the outside to claim the second and third-place shares of the $15,000 purse.

Emerson Gill of Grand Bend bred and owns Grogan in partnership with Ingersoll resident Graeme Harvey. The pair have now appeared alongside Grogan in a total of three winner’s circle photographs this season. Through eight starts at two and eight this year, the Angus Hall son has amassed $47,602 in earnings.

Mister Machine was the only Grassroots competitor able to match Grogan’s 2:00 clocking on the rain-soaked program. The Mr Lavec son and trainer Jason Gilchrist also employed front end tactics to record their five and one-quarter length victory in Race 4. Favourite Keystone Saint settled for second and Poncho Villa, owned by Fred Jamieson of Putnam and Murray Weber of Aylmer, trotted into third.

Dr. Frederick Albert of Prescott owns Mister Machine, who boosted his sophomore record to three wins and two seconds in nine starts with the victory.

Driver Mike Saftic had a profitable afternoon in London, piloting a pair of Grassroots winners along with third-place finishers Free To Dance and Kens On Lavec.

Saftic scored his Grassroots double in the last two divisions, steering Blaze Of Sonshine to a 2:01.3 score for trainer Gregg McNair and Konchie to a 2:01.4 victory for trainer David Byron.

After leaving from the trailing Post 8, Blaze Of Sonshine had to overcome interference at the three-quarters before pulling away to the two length victory over Sonny Vale and Archies Dream. Guelph resident Gregg McNair bred the Son of Grace colt, and shares ownership on the trotter with his mother Gwendolyn McNair of Walkerton.

In the final Grassroots division, Saftic took no chances and sent Konchie straight to the front from Post 1. The King Conch son rolled through steady fractions and hit the wire two and a half lengths ahead of Punkysyouruncle and P C Promising Duke. Trainer David Byron and James Cantelon of Thornton and Charles Byron and Sit N Go Stables of Barrie share ownership on Konchie, who now has two wins under his belt through eight starts.

The other Grassroots trophies went to Dukes Legacy, who toured the London oval in 2:03.1; Rosslyn Hall, a 2:02.2 winner; Summerhill Duke with a 2:01.4 effort; and Keystone Bounty in 2:01.1.

The three-year-old trotting colts make their second Grassroots start of the season at Hanover Raceway on July 11, while Ontario Sires Stakes excitement continues to build at Western Fair Raceway, where the three-year-old pacing colts will make their Gold Series debut this Friday, June 22.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rlontu.html