FRASERVILLE, ON — Kawartha Downs continues its three week run of Ontario Sires Stakes action this Tuesday with 10 Grassroots divisions for the two-year-old pacing colts.
Richard Webb and Paul Jackson will send four colts into the Grassroots fray, with SA Cheerokee Chief leading off for the side from Post 7 in Race 3. The Presidential Ball son started off the season in the Gold Series, finishing fourth in his elimination, but came up sick in the July 5 Gold Final.
“I raced three colts that night and all three came up sick. We treated them with antibiotics and gave them, I believe, two weeks off right out in the paddock,” says the Gore’s Landing resident. “This colt, I think, has a lot of potential and I found out after one start in the Gold that I thought I had him ready enough and I didn’t. So for his first start back (in Sires Stakes) I thought I’d like to try the Grassroots.”
Webb and Bobcaygeon resident Jackson did consider entering in the Gold Series at Flamboro Downs, but SA Cheerokee Chief’s size and inexperience made Tuesday’s contest more appealing.
“He is a big, rangy colt and, I think will be much handier on the five-eighths than the half,” says Webb of the $65,000 yearling. “And with the Grassroots being kind of in our backyard I just think it’s a wise move to go to the Grassroots with all of them.”
Batting second for the Jackson-Webb team is Lucky Lutz, who also started his career in the Woodbine Racetrack Gold Series before falling victim to the equine virus.
“I raced him in the first Gold and he didn’t qualify for the Final, but I raced him in the Consolation and he also came up sick,” says Webb. “I’d love to get all of them back to the Gold, but I don’t think he’s a Gold calibre horse. He should get better with age.”
A $39,000 yearling purchase from the Canadian Classic Sale, the Northern Luck son starts from Post 5 in Race 6 on Tuesday.
Stan Seelster follows Lucky Lutz to the gate from Post 6 in the eighth race and is the least experienced of the group. The Camluck son, a $12,000 yearling, qualified in June with his stablemates but showed enough immaturity that Webb opted to back off on the colt’s training regimen.
“He was a little on the immature side so we shut him down for maybe two months,” says the trainer-driver. “I just decided he needed more time than the other ones. And I’m maybe rushing him by throwing him right into the Grassroots.”
And batting clean-up for the stable is Armbro Cougar, who made his debut in the Grassroots at Quinte Exhibition Raceway on Aug. 13 and scored a smart 2:01.3 victory off a solid front-end effort.
“He raced quite well at Belleville last week. He is a nice, nice horse, medium-sized, but very handy,” says Webb. “I raced him in front at Belleville, but he is better from the back, probably about mid-pack, following horses. He loves to go by horses.”
A $14,000 purchase at the Forest City Sale, the Island Fantasy son also started in the season opening Gold event, finishing third in his elimination, but delivered a very flat effort in the July 5 Final.
“I don’t know if he also can move back up to the Golds, but I think it’s wise I did go to Belleville and Kawartha with him,” says Webb. “I do like this horse. He would be right up there with Cheerokee Chief. I think the Cheerokee Chief horse has more talent, but is maybe not as handy.”
Webb will send Armbro Cougar after his second straight Grassroots victory from Post 5 in Race 11.
Kawartha Downs sends the first two-year-old pacing colt division behind the starting gate at 4 pm on Tuesday with the remaining nine divisions going postward as Races 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.