INNISFIL, ON — Ja El Abe picked up his first lifetime victory in Grassroots action at Georgian Downs on Tuesday evening, circling his local oval in a smart 1:59.2.

Leaving from Post 6, the three-year-old trotting colt and driver Michael Langdon tucked in behind pacesetter Wolfman Hall through fractions of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:28.2 before shifting into passing gear and powering down the stretch to the one and one-quarter length victory. Targui, owned by Frank Dincognito of Sutton West, closed hard to finish second, while Renegade Dream overcame early interference to land the third-place finisher’s share of the $15,000 Grassroots purse.

Ja El Abe was a Gold Series regular at two, but the gelding’s owners Joanne Morrison of Beeton, Paul Shakes of Stayner and Mac Galbraith of Durham and trainer Brad Shakes of Stayner opted to start with the Grassroots this season, a move that paid off Tuesday. The win was the young trotter’s first in 12 lifetime starts and boosted his earnings to $25,494.

Reception Hall pulled off the fastest win in the last of nine Grassroots divisions, leading from gate to wire in the 1:58.3 effort. Ross Henry trains the Angus Hall son for the Henry Stable of Arthur and breeder Wally Yantz of Bloomingdale and Wayne Henry piloted the colt to the three-quarter length victory over King Crimson. Third-place finisher Smooth Moves was more than eight lengths behind the leaders at the wire.

A contestant in last season’s Grassroots Championship, Reception Hall also dabbled in the Gold Series as a two-year-old.

Driver Michael Langdon picked up a double on the Grassroots program, piloting Paco Spur to an impressive four and three-quarter length victory in the eighth race. The Guelph resident fired Paco Spur off the gate from Post 8 and had assumed command of the pace before the halfway marker. From there the duo simply cruised home without facing a challenge. J M Wally and Northern Patriot picked up the second and third-place finisher’s cheques.

Duane Marfisi trains and Roy Davis of Pittsburgh owns the Yankee Paco son, who has three victories to his credit this season through eight starts.

Yankee Paco son Viva Paco was also on fire at the Innisfil oval on Tuesday, hitting the wire 10 and one-half lengths ahead of Carscot Max and 28 lengths up on third-place finisher Hawkesbury in 1:59.1.

Norwich resident Doug Arthur trains, drives and shares ownership on Viva Paco with Michael Szorenyi of Putnam and Tuesday’s outing was only the gelding’s third lifetime start. In his first two appearances behind the starting gate the rookie trotter broke stride, so Arthur added trotting hopples for a June 7 qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack that saw Viva Paco easily best the field in 1:59.

The other Grassroots divisions went to A Hay Luva Paige in 2:01.4, Berning Image in 2:00.2, ABs Speedy Hall in 1:59.1, Right Mind in 2:00.2 and Tristar Lee in 1:59.3.

The three-year-old trotting colts return to Grassroots action on July 9 at Woodstock Raceway, while the Ontario Sires Stakes program makes its second stop at Georgian Downs on Saturday, July 2 with Gold Series Eliminations for the gifted three-year-old pacing fillies.

For a complete list of Tuesday night’s results please go to:

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