LONDON, ON — Paul Mackenzie had the key to the winner’s circle at Western Fair Raceway on Friday night. The Puslinch-based driver teamed a trio of three-year-old pacing colts to victory in five Grassroots divisions, including a track record performance with Daylon Frontier in the eighth race.
In spite of track conditions rated two seconds slower than normal due to the rain, Mackenzie and Daylon Frontier stormed off the gate from Post 5 and simply ran away from the field through the final quarter to hit the wire 12 lengths ahead of Im A Camedian and Judge Cam and stop the clock in a remarkable 1:54.2.
It was the second Grassroots win for Daylon Frontier and Mackenzie since trainer Bill Budd opted to drop the colt into the program this fall. The Run The Table colt is owned by C and I Siegel Racing Stable Ltd, of Brooklyn, NY, who also own Budd’s two-year-old superstar, the $1 million winning Sir Luck. The win moved Daylon Frontier into a tie for 17th spot in the division standings and he could squeak into the Grassroots Semifinal at Windsor Raceway on Oct. 27 if any of the top 16 colts fail to enter.
Cliftons Revenge secured top spot in the division with another front end effort engineered by Mackenzie in the tenth race. The A Stud Named Sue son crossed the wire two and one quarter lengths ahead of the highly competitive field, stopping the clock at 1:56.3. Gothic Boy finished second, while local favourite Corona Grande, owned by trainer Jack Darling of Windsor and Daniel Smith of London, finished third.
It was the third Grassroots win for Cliftons Revenge, who also scored a pair of seconds and one fifth-place finish in six starts for a total of 205 points. Joe Pereira trains the winner of $122,624 for The Merks Stable of Scarsdale, NY.
Mackenzie’s other victory came aboard Armbro Windy in the first race. The duo stalked favourite Big Louie through fractions of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:27 before bursting out in the stretch and pulling off to the two and one-quarter length victory in 1:57.4. Big Louie stayed game for second, holding off Chilly Cody Hunter.
Bruce MacDonald trains Armbro Windy for Mardon Stables of Loretto and the win moved the Dexter Nukes colt into the queue of pacers waiting to see how many of the top 16 enter the Grassroots Semifinal. If four colts currently in the top 16 did not make the trip to Windsor, it would result in an extension to Armbro Windy’s provincial season.
The second Grassroots division went to Michael Langdon and Nats Beach Bunny, who ran down pacesetter and fan favourite Armbro Wallstreet to score the 1:59 victory for owner-trainer Jean Carol Tymcio of Cheltenham. Armbro Wallstreet, owned by Tony Aarts of Putnam, and Goth Vader picked up the second and third-place shares of the $20,874 purse.
With 99 points, Precious Bunny son Nats Beach Bunny joins Daylon Frontier and Armbro Windy in the waiting game to see if he can secure a spot on the starting gate in the Oct. 27 Semifinal.
The final division went to long shot DM Billy The Kid and trainer-driver Don Rankin, Jr., who rocketed around the final turn to secure the 1:58.1 victory. Favourite and pacesetter Cam Bo Informal narrowly held off Mcmac to hang on to second spot. The win vaulted DM Billy The Kid into the top 16, giving him a total of 112 points from a win, two seconds and one third in four Grassroots starts. Mcgregor resident Rankin shares ownership on the Armbro Operative son with Don MacDonald of Amherstburg.
The top 16 colts now head to Windsor Raceway on Oct. 27 for a pair of $30,000 Semifinals, with the top four from each Semifinal continuing on to the $100,000 Grassroots Final on Nov. 3.
The Ontario Sires Stakes makes two more stops in London when Western Fair Raceway hosts the exciting two-year-old pacing colts for Gold Elimination and Final action on Nov. 2 and 8.