BELLEVILLE, ON — When the two-year-old pacing colts arrive at Quinte Exhibition Raceway for Grassroots action on Friday, two of them will be carrying the hopes of local breeder Stan Klemencic.

Truth Or Dare will be trying to improve on his fifth-place showing in the Grassroots season opener from Post 8 in the fourth race and Tune Me Out will be looking to match or better his second-place effort from Post 4 in Race 8.

“It’s exciting when you get two homebreds in the hometown,” says Klemencic. “It means a lot to us and I expect we’ll be over there to support them. They are good colts, but they’ve got to prove themselves, just like the rest of them.”

The second foal from Klemencic’s $379,890 winner Virginia Dare, Truth Or Dare qualified twice at Kawartha Downs before trying his hand in the June 22 Grassroots at Kawartha. The Camluck colt and trainer-driver Murray Brethour will start from the trailing Post 8 on Friday and, while not ideal, Klemencic would rather see the young pacer start there than on the outside of Quinte’s half mile oval.

“Post 8 is not the worst. In Belleville it’s six and seven that are bad, very hard for horses,” says the Trenton resident, who shares ownership on Truth Or Dare with his partners in the 30 Plus Stable, sons Andy and Tim Klemencic. “I would say that eight is okay, it doesn’t disappoint me.”

Four races later Tune Me Out will start from the middle of the starting gate and Klemencic admits that his expectations are a little higher for the son of Rustler Hanover and Shes In Tune.

“I think he’s a little stronger physically, a little bigger,” notes the longtime horseman. “So we maybe expect more from him.”

Like his stablemate Tune Me Out heads into Friday’s eighth race off a pair of qualifiers and a start in the June 22 Grassroots at Kawartha Downs, however his effort in the season opener left more of an impression on Klemencic and Brethour. After sitting fourth for most of the mile the colt and driver Brad Rae laid down a :27.4 last quarter to claim the runner-up spot in the 1:57.2 mile, the second fastest of five divisions.

Rae will pilot Tune Me Out again on Friday and if the pair deliver another impressive effort they may find themselves graduating to the Gold Series for their next Ontario Sires Stakes start.

“Sometimes they tell you they’re not ready,” reflects Klemencic. “And sometimes they might surprise you and you might go Gold next time, you never know.”

Thirty-eight freshman pacing colts will attempt to impress their owners on Friday evening at Quinte Exhibition Raceway, competing for a total of $104,515 in Races 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9. Post time for the first race at the Belleville half-mile is 7:25 pm.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/eblvlfr.html