HANOVER, ON — Hanover Raceway fans got their second taste of Ontario Sires Stakes speed on Saturday evening as two-year-old pacing colt Grinning Breed delivered a record breaking performance in the sixth of seven Grassroots divisions.

One month ago freshman pacing filly A Fiesty Affair matched the Hanover track record in her Grassroots appearance at Hanover, and on Saturday Grinning Breed destroyed the pacing colt track record with his 1:56.3 triumph.

In rein to Trevor Henry, Grinning Breed hustled away from Post 4 and led the ninth race field to a :28 opening quarter. Henry then chose to allow fan favourites Bruce Richardson and Allamerican Dice to take possession of the lead, and dogged their footsteps to a :58 half and 1:27.3 three-quarters. Turning for home Grinning Breed was one and one-quarter lengths behind Allamerican Dice, but an exceptional finishing sprint propelled the Grinfromeartoear son down the stretch to a one length victory.

The 1:56.3 mile stripped more than a second off the former two-year-old pacing colt track record of 1:57.4 set by Hez Bo Diddy and Arthur resident Trevor Henry last summer.

Trained by Paul Taylor, who also conditioned Hez Bo Diddy, Grinning Breed is now flawless through four starts. A $16,000 purchase at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale, the first time Grassroots starter has already returned his purchase price to owners Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein.

Allamerican Dice earned the second-place share of the $15,343 purse, while Northern Ace hit the wire five and a half lengths back in third.

Henry and Taylor teamed up for a second winner’s circle portrait following the tenth race, posing with 1:59.3 winner Be Bop For Life. The Fit For Life son led from gate to wire to score his second straight victory, hitting the wire one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Count Me Up and Nothing More.

Kenneth Merner of Clinton bred and owns Be Bop For Life, who improved his record to two wins, one second, one third and one fifth in five starts. Like his stablemate Grinning Breed, Saturday’s start was Be Bop For Life’s first start in the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

Excel Nine and Memory In Motion delivered a thrilling show for Hanover fans in the eighth race. Memory In Motion fired out of Post 2 to the front of the seven horse field, while Excel Nine landed in third from the trailing Post 8. Heading for the 1:01 half driver Aaron Byron sent Excel Nine up the outside and the colt challenged Memory In Motion through the remainder of the mile before sticking a head in front at the wire to claim the 1:59.3 victory. Putnampacingmachin watched the action from third.

The win was the first for Excel Nine, who is trained by Pat Crowe for Crowe Stable Inc. of Cookstown. The Astreos son finished second in the Grassroots season opener at Kawartha Downs on July 19 and second in an overnight event at Georgian Downs on Aug. 7. The brother to $120,718 winner Lady Lola was a $8,500 purchase at the 2006 Forest City Sale and has already earned $16,053.

The other Grassroots divisions went to Constant Craving in 1:58.3, Lyons Geoff in 1:58.2, Doctor J Holiday in 1:58.1 and Three Doors Down in 1:59.

The two-year-old pacing colts resume their Grassroots rivalry on Sept. 8 at Hiawatha Horse Park, and the Ontario Sires Stakes program makes one final stop at Hanover Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 15 with the fifth Grassroots event for the lightning fast three-year-old pacing fillies.

For complete results please go to:

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