HANOVER, ON — Neither wind, nor rain, nor his two-year-old pacing colt competitors prevented Just Asign To Me from getting to the Hanover Raceway winner’s circle on Saturday evening to pick up his third Grassroots trophy.

Over a racetrack rated a sloppy three seconds slower than normal due to daylong rain, Just Asign To Me rolled off the gate from Post 4 to a :28 opening quarter and then started to open up a gap on his peers. Two lengths ahead at the 1:00.1 half and the 1:30.2 three-quarters, the gelding was five lengths on top turning for home and hit the wire nine and one-half lengths ahead in an impressive 1:59.2.

Arthur, ON resident Trevor Henry was in the race bike, as he has been for all four of Just Asign To Me’s victories, crafting the win for trainer Bruce Gilkinson’s Cat Sass Stable of Listowel, ON. Long shot Mister Hill was a steady second, with Kendal Fresco rounding out the triactor in third.

Gilkinson purchased Just Asign To Me sight unseen from an online auction site for $21,500 US, and the gelding has paid back his purchase price plus interest in just six starts. In addition to his three Grassroots victories, the son of Geartogear and Justasign Hanover has one win and one fourth in overnight action on his resume for total earnings of $39,780.

With his flawless record in Grassroots action, Just Asign To Me sits well atop the two-year-old pacing colt standings with a total of 150 points, 42 ahead of runner-up Hi Sir.

Hi Sir scored his second straight Grassroots victory with an impressive effort in the fifth $24,000 Grassroots division that saw him recover from an early break and then circle out three-wide to hit the wire one-half length on top in 2:01.1. Officernagentleman finished second and Atlantic Ball picked up the third-place finisher’s share. Local horse S K Crosby faltered in the heavy going and finished seventh for Mike McLaughlin of Durham and Jamie Hastie of Hanover.

Mike Saftic piloted Hi Sir to the win for trainer Bob McIntosh of Windsor, ON, who also owns the gelding. Through six starts the Sir Luck son has three wins and one third for earnings of $31,090.

Saftic was also in the race bike when Facebook picked up his first lifetime victory on Saturday, touring the Hanover oval in 2:02.2 to secure a two and one-quarter length victory over Intrepid Orion and Picasso A F. Bloomingwood Farms Ltd. of Harriston, ON bred and owns Facebook, who jumped into a tie for third in the division standings with the win. Combined with two runner-up finishes in the first two Grassroots events the son of Mach Three and Wendy My Gal has 100 points to his credit at the halfway mark in the season.

Walkerton, ON native Gregg McNair trains Facebook, who now has one win, two seconds, two thirds and two fourths through seven starts for earnings of $32,960.

Campbellville, ON resident Saftic completed a profitable trip to Hanover when he guided Frank O’Reilly trainee Traverse Seelster to victory in the $48,000 Balanced Image Final. The Angus Hall son wrestled a three-quarter length win away from pacesetter P C La Mousse, halting the teletimer at 2:05 on a track that had been downgraded to four second slower than normal. A regular on the two-year-old trotting colt Grassroots scene, Traverse Seelster is owned by Franco Cianci of St-Laurent, QC and Isidoro Russo of Montreal, QC.

The other Grassroots divisions went to Grand Master in 2:00; Adventure Bound in 1:59.1; and Mach Wheel in 2:02.1. The two-year-old pacing colts begin the second half of their Grassroots season on Sept. 14 at Georgian Downs.

Saturday’s impressive performances by the two-year-old pacing colts concluded Hanover Raceway’s 2010 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which also saw the popular half-mile host Grassroots events for the lightning fast three-year-old pacing colts and the talented three-year-old trotting colts.

For complete results please go to: Hanover Raceway Results — Sept. 4, 2010