SUDBURY, ON — Sudbury Downs wraps up its 2005 Ontario Sires Stakes season on Saturday night and Chelmsford resident Wayne MacLean is hoping three-year-old trotting colt I Am Irish can score one for the local side in the third of four $25,383 Grassroots divisions.
A modest $3,000 purchase from the January Thaw Sale last winter, I Am Irish boasts a record of four wins and three seconds through 12 starts, including a Grassroots victory at Hanover Raceway on July 30 in a personal best 2:00.2. Just five points shy of the current cut off for the season ending Grassroots Semifinal, the Balanced Image son will be looking to add to his point tally on Saturday and in the last regular season event on Sept. 22.
“I don’t know if he could ever make the Final, but we are very happy with what he is doing now,” says MacLean, who shares ownership on the colt with Chelmsford residents Jocelyne Menard and Lesley Kennedy. “By God, we didn’t expect this from him. We’re pretty excited.”
Part of the trio’s excitement stems from the fact that they knew next to nothing about the colt when they plucked him out of the sale. The gamble has paid off in spades over the last four months as I Am Irish has returned $20,563 on their initial investment.
“We took a chance,” recalls the trainer-driver. “We didn’t know a thing about him, we just thought we’d bring him home and find out.
“I got him in January and he raced at the beginning of April. He won his first two starts and we’ve been all bubbly ever since,” adds MacLean with a laugh.
Known as Teddy around MacLean’s Sudbury shedrow, I Am Irish has also entertained his owners with his off track antics.
“He loves to play. You put him out in the paddock and he’ll chase his tail around all day. He’s got a great personality,” says MacLean. “He’s so big and rough, he doesn’t know he could hurt you if he stepped on you, but he’d never do it intentionally.”
After missing a start last week, the full brother to former Grassroots star Tara Tullamore ($201,252) will school over the Sudbury Downs oval on Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s test. Among the rivals he will face in Race 7 are two colts who also have 58 points after the first four Grassroots events, Armbro Cameron and Wolfman Hall, who will start from Posts 3 and 9.
With the race for a spot in the post season heating up, all three colts will be gunning for a top finish Saturday and then gearing back up for another big effort in the last regular season event at Hiawatha Horse Park on Sept. 22, but MacLean is confident I Am Irish can handle the pressure.
“It doesn’t bother him to race, he just loves it,” says the veteran horseman. “He is so full of energy, if you leave him in the barn for one day, by God look out.”
Post time for Sudbury Downs final Ontario Sires Stakes program is 7:15 pm, with the three-year-old trotting colts set to square off in Races 4, 5, 7, and 8.
For a complete list of entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/esudbysa.html